ANGRY residents have hit out at broken lifts which have left them feeling “trapped in their homes” in a Southampton housing care scheme.

On one occasion firefighters were called after the faulty lift broke and trapped a man inside, say residents.

Southampton City Council acknowledged the ongoing issues, which it described as “teething problems”.

One person who lives at Potters Court on Wimpson Lane told the Echo that one lift at the building is permanently out of action, while another develops a fault two or three times a week.

The building, which has four floors and 83 homes, is run by the city council, and residents say despite voicing concerns, the lifts keep breaking.

Daily Echo: Potters Court.Potters Court.

The resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “People are actually trapped in their homes because they can’t get out. There’s people in here with wheelchairs.

“It’s getting worse. We’ve only got one lift and that keeps breaking down. The guy comes and repairs it and within a couple of hours it’s broken again.

“It’s very worrying. The city’s most vulnerable are in this block. People have got hospital appointments and if they can’t get out, they’ll miss them.

“Carers have been told they mustn’t use the lift.”

Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that a person had become stuck in the lift at about 6pm on Thursday.

The crew were called to the scene and arrived to discover that an engineer was already working to release the man.

Despite the ongoing issues, the Potters Court scheme has led to the council being shortlisted for the UK Housing Awards in the Homebuilder of the Year category.

The development is the largest housing with care scheme in the city and provides on site support and 24-hour care.

Responding to the issues, a Southampton City Council spokesperson said: “As with any new build development, we are experiencing some teething problems and are working with our contractor to address these and minimise the impact on residents.

“Our priority is always the safety and well-being of the Potters Court community, so the on-site team are providing daily reassurance and support, and we’d like to thank residents for their patience while the repairs are made.”