QUESTIONS are being asked about disabled access at Worcester's Guildhall - after a lift broke down leaving wheelchair-bound people stuck outside.

Last Saturday a coffee morning was organised at the historic building for Headway Worcestershire, the brain injury charity celebrating 25 years.

But during the event a lift taking people up to the first floor, where the fundraiser was held, stopped working.

A newly-installed disabled lift is also in place inside the venue but that was only ready to use on Monday - meaning that during some of last weekend the only way to venture up was via the stairs.

Labour Councillor Lynn Denham says she was entering the building in the High Street herself last Saturday and came across people "on the car park trying to get in".

The council's leadership has called it "a unique set of circumstances" and says the problems are now solved.

Councillor Denham told your Worcester News said: "I attended the event and as I was leaving, a trio of people including a wheelchair user were dumped outside on the car park because the lift wasn't working.

"From a humanity point of view it was awful - they just weren't able to participate."

Bosses at the authority say the main lift broke down at around 1pm last Saturday, an hour before the Headway bash was due to end - but it is now fixed.

Councillor Denham also raised it during a full council meeting, where she suggested the main lift had been "periodically" out of action and asked for "a guarantee" it won't happen again.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, the cabinet member for history and heritage, said: "I really do apologise for any people who were not able to attend but this was a unique series of events.

"It was a really unfortunate set of circumstances but all the lifts inside the building are now working."

The Headway event ran from 10am until 2pm and around 70 people attended, with around two individuals spotted outside who were unable to access the first floor during the afternoon.

The new disabled lift means full council meetings are now taking place inside the chamber for the first time since 2012.