AN ELDERLY man and two ambulance staff were trapped in the cage of a wind-lashed builders' lift for more than an hour after it ground to a halt halfway up the outside of a block of flats.

The 86-year-old was being taken home from hospital in a wheelchair when the lift became stuck near the fourth floor of his eight-storey block in Stockport as temperatures plummeted on a freezing cold night.

Work is underway by Stockport Homes to replace the internal lift at the flats, called Bowdon House, and the temporary lift has been erected outside to help elderly and disabled residents get to the upper floors.

But the pensioner, who was on oxygen, and the two ambulance staff had to be freed by fire crews who climbed on to the roof of the cage to pull the emergency levers.

One witness said crews had to be called because the lift operator did not know how to get the lift moving again.

They said: “These people ended up stuck outside in mid air on this lift for over an hour and the lady from the security company didn't know what to do to bring the lift down in emergencies.

“The fire brigade were called and they had to call up the company to find out how to work it. By this time the lady working it was in tears.”

They added: “It was a very cold night and the lift is open to the elements. It could have ended in disaster if the fire brigade hadn't got there so quickly.”

Ten firefighters were called to the block of flats shortly after 8pm. It took 20 minutes to free the elderly man and the two ambulance staff.

The lift runs up the outside of the building and connects to each of the outside walkways. It is operated by a team that Stockport Homes, which runs the flats, has placed on-site 24 hours a day.

Neighbours of the pensioner said the lift ‑ a builders' hoist ‑ has broken down before.

One man said a woman in a wheelchair had to wait in a nearby pub while the lift was fixed following one breakdown.

Stockport Homes said its staff had given letters to residents about the lift yesterday. A spokeswoman said the lift is manned by a trained operator. The work is due to be completed by the end of the year.

The spokeswoman said: “Unfortunately, during the evening on November 5, the temporary lift malfunctioned whilst some residents were inside. The lift engineer was called by the lift operator.

“Whilst the lift engineer was on route to Bowdon House, they alerted Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue and gave them further instructions on how to release the lift.”

A spokesman for crane and hoist company HTC Plant, based in the Sheffield, did not want to comment.

Mark Hudson, director of technical services at Stockport Homes, which is renovating the flats, said: “We take the safety and welfare of our residents very seriously. I would like to apologise for the inconvenience and distress caused whilst the lift malfunctioned.

“I can assure you the temporary lift is back in full working order, and is being operated by the on-site trained officer.”