A WOMAN rescued for the sixth time from a lift that keeps breaking down in the block of flats where she lives is calling for action.

And so are other residents who have suffered with the malfunctioning lift.

Fed up Trude Drake spent more than half an hour trapped and unable to reach the emergency assistance operator because the call button in the lift did not work.

An alarm rang within the block of flats at Sterte Court in Poole but it was only when a friend got through to her mobile phone that Trude, who lives on the ninth floor, could summon help.

The lift serves the odd numbered floors in the Bay View block and suffers constant breakdowns.

"It has broken down twice in the past week and I've been stuck in the lift six times. Even the fire brigade are fed up of being called out repeatedly," said Trude.

"I did not have a signal on my mobile but a friend managed to call me and I was then able to contact the housing people to tell them the button in the lift that should put you through to an operator was not working."

Trude was given oxygen by an ambulance crew after being rescued.

She said: "Every time the fire brigade come out and deal with this lift it means they are not able to help other people in the town.

"The council needs to do something."

Marion Garlinge, like others living on the odd-numbered floors, would rather walk one flight of stairs to use the more reliable "even-floor" lift.

"It's frightening. Sometimes you press for floor five and the lift goes all the way to floor nine," she said.

Edna Gibson said: "We should have another lift. When the workmen were fitting the new kitchens they had to keep ringing up to get the lift fixed."

Disabled resident Jennifer Richardson, said: "It's the same lift that was here when my mother lived here in 1961. My care assistants have been stuck in the lift."

Mark Jones, head of asset management within Poole Housing Partnership, said: "We are aware that residents have reported the lift in the block has broken down a number of times this year and each time we have attended and, if faulty, have rectified the problem."

He said the cause of the problems was not vandalism but largely due to mechanical parts wearing out.

Apologising for the inconvenience caused, he added: "We are in the process of carrying out a lift refurbishment programme and in the meantime the caretaker is testing the caller function regularly."

First published: May 16