Elderly couple out of Birmingham flat after being trapped for over a week
An elderly couple trapped in their flat for more than a week after a lift stopped working can get out once more as repairs have been completed.
Ken, 98 and 95-year-old Molly Woodward live on the sixth floor of End Wood Court in Handsworth Wood, Birmingham. Their daughter said once news of their plight broke complete strangers had rallied round to help. Building managers Pennycuick Collins said repairs was completed ahead of schedule. Mr Woodward, who recently suffered a mini-stroke, previously said that having to stay in his flat "put a lot of pressure on my mind". Their daughter, Audrey Parker, said one woman, thought to work at Heartlands Hospital, would climb the six flights of stairs taking bags of groceries, including newspapers, every day. She even bought a small bottle of whiskey for Mr Woodward as it is his favourite tipple. "There has been a lovely response from friends, family and complete strangers which is fantastic," Ms Parker added. The couple are in much better spirits and are planning a short break, she said. Nash Patel, finance director at Pennycuick Collins said staff had been in "constant communication" with residents over the repairs. "The parts were ordered immediately and though we thought the repairs wouldn't be completed until today, the engineers managed to get these done by Monday evening, ahead of schedule." Mr Patel added that the firm would be keeping a close eye on the functionality of the lift in the future. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.