The residents of the Derby Place sheltered housing complex in Thornbury have every right to feel upset and angry. They appear to have been badly let down by Bradford North Housing Trust after the lift in the three-story premises failed and was left out of order for 11 days.

One of the reasons people move into a complex of this sort is because they have mobility problems. A lift is an absolute priority for many of them if they are not to be cut off from the world.

No-one can predict when a lift might fail. These things happen, and it was most unfortunate for one of the residents that she was in this one when it came to a halt. Fortunately her son was with her, which made her ordeal less harrowing than it would have been if she had been alone.

However, what happened next seems to have been less than satisfactory. For the residents to have been told that the trust was waiting for a part for the lift, and then left for day after day to make their way up and down the stairs as best they could, shows an appalling weakness in the system.

The Bradford Community Housing Trust says it is about to start a major refurbishment of the district's sheltered housing schemes. While that is no doubt welcome news to the residents in the long term, it is cold comfort to those who live at Derby Place.

Lift problems should be put right as a matter of urgency, and procedures must be put in place now to ensure that happens in future.