Margate mum-of-four 'speechless' and 'struggling' over faulty flat lift

A mother-of-four, from Margate, says she has been left 'speechless' by a housing association’s handling of a faulty lift.

Abbey Mitchell told ITV News Meridian she has been “struggling to get down the stairs” with her double pram and that it is particularly difficult for one of her daughters, who is autistic and has “problems with her legs”.

The lift in the five-storey Burlington Place, close to the seafront, has been out of order since 26 June.

Housing association, Riverside, has apologised for any inconvenience caused and said that it is awaiting the parts needed.

Abbey said she has been forced to ferry her children - who are aged between one and eight - downstairs in waves.

But even before the recent problems, the lift has apparently always been temperamental.

Asked how she feels about the housing association’s conduct, Abbey said: “I have no words. It has been very hard.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Riverside said: “We want to sincerely apologise to Ms Mitchell for any inconvenience caused while we work to address an ongoing lift issue at her home and unfortunately await the parts needed.

“We have been in touch with Ms Mitchell to discuss her concerns and want to reassure her that to reduce impact moving forward, we have appointed an industry expert to assess the lift against industry standards to improve the condition of the lift and increase reliability.”

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