A DISABLED housing tenant says she has been left stuck in her home because it is “too hot” to repair the broken lifts.

Valerie Roche lives at Kite Place West in Whitehawk, Brighton, a newly built block of flats which opened earlier this year.

But already two lifts in her block have broken down, leaving her stuck on the second floor.

Ms Roche, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe arthritis, says residents there have been told it will take a month to fix the lifts.

Brighton and Hove City Council says the lifts have stopped working during the heatwave because the shafts are too hot.

It is working to put in better ventilation and a heat reflective film to keep the area cooler.

But Ms Roche, 67, said the breakdown left her stuck in her home and she was unable to find hotel accommodation because of the Pride celebrations.

She said: “The lift has been out of order since Monday last week, and I rely on my mobility scooter to get around.

“When I came back from holiday I found the lifts had broken and they said it is too hot for them to be repaired.

“They offered me and my daughter, who is my carer, a room at an old people’s home, but it was one small room, with no cooking facilities, no television and no bathroom. But one other neighbour was put in a hotel with her husband and their dog, paid for by the council.

“It’s frustrating, I have an appointment coming up with a specialist at the hospital, but it could be four weeks until the lifts are repaired.”

The council said that a neighbour was put in a hotel outside the city and there had been no hotels available in the city because of Pride.

In a statement the authority said: “We know this is frustrating and inconvenient for residents and are doing everything possible to remedy the situation and keep people informed.

“The five storey building, which opened this spring, has two lifts. Prolonged high temperatures during the heatwave have caused the lifts to stop working because the lift shafts are too hot.

“In the short term we have opened air vents in staircases adjacent to the lift shafts to reduce temperatures. These will enable us to get the lifts working again as soon as possible.”

Repair works for a long-term solution will start at the first available date at the beginning of September.