THE daughter of a Winyates care home resident claims her mother and fellow tenants were stripped of their independence following the breakdown of the accommodation's lift.

Anne Dearman says her 85-year-old mum and others at Ibstock House were left to "suffer in silence" as they had not had a working lift there for three weeks - and action was only taken for it to be repaired last Friday.

Mrs Dearman's mother Gladys Williams has been a resident at the local authority-run care home for 24 years and now finds it difficult to get around due to a stroke and heart condition.

Mrs Dearman said residents, especially those on the top floor of the building, had not been able to get around or do their laundry for weeks as the room was on the lower floor.

"The elderly people have just not been able to get up and down the stairs on their own," said Mrs Dearman.

"I'm helping mum do her shopping and her laundry but, for an independent woman and an independent life, they have to keep asking people for help, which they don't like to do. It's so easy to overlook their needs as they don't complain. They suffer in silence."

She said the situation was very stressful for families but even more so for the residents used to an independent lifestyle.

The lift is now up and running again despite Redditch Council saying the part needed could only be delivered tomorrow.

Mrs Dearman said she was delighted residents could now use the lift but expressed concerns that there may be another breakdown which would take just as long to repair.

"We hope it doesn't happen again because we can't go through this wait again," she added.

A Redditch Council spokesman explained that the external company which services the lift had to get the new part from a company in Italy.

He added: "We are sorry for the distress this has caused."