A pensioner spent four weeks stranded in her ninth-floor council flat because because the broken lift could only be fixed with a part from Germany.

Beryl Brooks, 81, who is paralysed from the neck down, was a prisoner in her own home while council officials frantically waited for the Germans to send out the order 600 miles to Hove.

Mrs Brooks lives with her daughter in Livingston House, Ellen Street, Hove, and relies on the lift to help her in and out of the building.

Brighton and Hove City Council finally fixed it on Wednesday and Mrs Brooks said the first thing she intended to do was visit the shops.

She said: "I rely on it to get out so for the past few weeks I have been just sitting and reading and watching the television and that's that.

"I don't do much else as I can't walk very well, just a few paces.

"They just kept saying the part was coming from Germany and they were waiting for it.

"But surely they must have two or three parts of the same thing to mend a lift, rather than make one part when it breaks."

Mrs Brooks was left paralysed after an operation in 2004. She spent a whole year in hospital, during which time her husband died.

Mrs Brooks said she was not the only resident to have been affected. One woman had not been able to return home to her husband at their flat after a stay in hospital because of the lack of lift access.

Mrs Brooks said the woman had instead stayed in a respite home and waited for the lift to be fixed.

She said: "It has happened before two or three times but it has never taken this long to fix it before.

"I'm just glad my hairdresser will be able to come and give me a hair cut now. I haven't been able to have it done while the lift wasn't working."

Mrs Brooks' daughter said she discovered the lift out of order after she returned from a day out with a friend.

She said: When I came back the lift was out of order so if I had taken Mum I don't know how I would have got on going up 18 flights of stairs to the top floor."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We are sorry that the lift has been out of action for this time but we are pleased to say that we will be able to fix it now we have the correct part.

"Our contractors could not find the correct part locally at first but have now found a supplier so next time should be able to make repairs a lot quicker."

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