Grandma, 91, forced to climb 60 stairs in London flat block due to faulty lift
A 91-year-old woman had to climb 60 stairs to reach her east London flat because of faulty lifts in her high-rise block.A 91-year-old woman had to climb 60 stairs to reach her east London flat because of faulty lifts in her high-rise block.
Jordan Thompson shared a video of his grandma Violet Thompson clambering up four storeys with a cane in Evering Road, Clapton.
“My 91 yr old grandma, having to walk up several flights of stairs because @hackneycouncil can't sort out their lifts,” Mr Thompson wrote. “Please retweet and share! Something needs to be done.”
It was watched more than 440,000 times on Twitter, shared by nearly 15,000 users and attracted a flurry of furious comments, with people branding it “absolutely disgraceful” and “terrible”.
A spokesman for Hackney Council said they responded to the fault "as a priority" and said it was fixed hours after it was reported, although Ms Thompson's family claim there have been repeated issues with the lift "for several years".
My 91 yr old grandma, having to walk up several flights of stairs because @hackneycouncil cant sort out their lifts. Please retweet and share! Something needs to be done. 😤
"Grandma, 91, forced to climb 60 stairs in London flat block due to faulty lift"Geoff Thompson, 62, Violet's son, told the Standard: "It's my mother, she's 91, she's been living with this issue for a number of years now.
"It's because I'd seen the mental, physical and emotional deterioration of my mother that I'd brought her back home during Covid-19 because of her right to an independent living experience, only to find her having to take on one of her biggest challenges in her advancing years.
"Her whole social program - pensioners' club, going to the leisure centre, shopping, going to church, all of that has ended [because of the lift]— Jordan Thompson (@jordan_boxing93)August 26, 2020“Stop funding the BS you guys fund and get a new lift sorted. How you guys are trying to make out your doing something great is mad [sic].”
Aside from the outrage, many Twitter users also offered to help the elderly woman’s plight.
After left-wing commentator Owen Jones waded in to his one million followers, the mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville, responded on Twitter: “Thanks Owen & Jordan, I've emailed both Ms Thompson's children who are my contacts when trying to help in the past.
Thanks Owen & Jordan, I've emailed both Ms Thompson's children who are my contacts when trying to help in the past. I've also raised this with Director of Housing. While I'm told lift is back on, after a 3hr outage y'day, this constant disruption is unacceptable & we must fix it.
— Mayor of Hackney (@mayorofhackney)August 25, 2020“I've also raised this with Director of Housing. While I'm told lift is back on, after a 3hr outage y'day, this constant disruption is unacceptable & we must fix it.”
Zak Shafique replied: “Hello pal, I work for the London fire brigade. Is this also a fire lift? If so give me the details and I will refer it to fire safety as an emergency Job.”
Many others praised the grandma, with user Charlotte Moore writing to local Labour MP Diane Abbott: “Amazing woman!!! 91!! @HackneyAbbott please give the council a nudge. This woman should be in her home with a cup of tea not clambering up the stairs. Please.”
A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “We always respond to broken lifts as a priority, and in this instance the lift was fixed and working again within three hours of the fault being reported to us.
“However, we know that there have been general issues with the reliability of this lift, and we are working to resolve these permanently. We are sorry about the disruption that this has been causing, and have spoken with the family of the resident in the video to apologise directly."
Reference: Evening Standard: Ewan Somerville 2 days ago: 27/08/2020