Elderly and disabled people were left stranded in their homes after both of the lifts broke down in a supported housing block.

Residents of Minerva Lodge, off Roman Way, Holloway – many of whom are wheelchair users – could not get out of the building for three days last week.

The four-storey block, which houses 43 people, had had just one lift operating since the other one broke down in January, but that also stopped working last Tuesday.

A 78-year-old resident, who asked not to be named, said: “The situation was terrible. There are people in their eighties and in wheelchairs and they couldn’t get down.”

Circle 33, the housing body that runs the building, brought in extra care workers to run errands and go to the shops for residents.

One of the lifts was finally fixed on Friday, but the other is still out of order.

A Circle 33 spokesman added: “We are sorry for any inconvenience to residents.

“We have worked hard to get our contractors to fix the lifts as soon as possible and offered our residents temporary hotel accommodation while the lifts were not working.

“Our contractors expect that the other broken-down lift will be repaired and brought back into use within two weeks.”