A MAN has been stranded in his second floor flat for more than a month because landlords have failed to repair a lift, he claims.

Julian John Gonsalves lives in Florence Court in Gordon Road, Brighton but has been unable to leave the building for the past five weeks because of a lift fault and a medical condition that has left him unable to walk down the stairs.

He has been left relying on friends to carry out simple tasks and says the whole independence-robbing situation has left him emotionally distraught.

He said: “I’ve had to get friends to go out and get shopping for me.

“I’ve lost my independence and if it wasn’t for a friend of mine who I’ve asked to keep an eye on me I’d be on my own.

“But I don’t see why I should have to ask him to hang around because I have to sit around here on my own. The lifts have been out of order for five weeks now.

“I have one neighbour who is 80 and another around the corner who is 76 and there’s me, and I find it difficult to walk.

“I can’t get out of here and even my doctors and nurses want to know why I can’t get out to get to appointments. It’s getting beyond a joke and I’m getting no response from anyone.”

The 59-year-old, who lost his left hand last year after collapsing at home before later developing compartment syndrome, added he has been left feeling alone and isolated by the continuing problems.

He says he has lodged complaints with Saxon Weald, which runs the apartment block near Preston Park, and despite repairs being made to the first and third floor lift access nothing has been done to help him.

He added: “I feel like no-one really cares and I think something has to be done about it.

“I’ve been in tears about the whole situation. It’s all just wrong.”

A spokesman for Saxon Weald said the lift was out of action because of misuse and vandalism, which has damaged the lift entrance on the second floor.

She said engineers had been out to try and fix the problem but had to order a special part, which was what was causing the delays.

She added: “We’re very apologetic towards residents and we understand they are experiencing a lot of inconvenience but we are doing all we can.”