A DISABLED man said he has been stuck inside his home after an eight-month wait for an outdoor wheelchair lift following a series of errors.

Peter Sharp has benign MS, which means his mobility is restricted.

Following a fracture last January his condition worsened and in October of last year he was assessed at his home in Tupsley, Hereford, by an occupational therapist to make his home wheelchair-friendly.

As there are steps at the front and back of his house, it was advised a chair lift could be installed at the back of his home which would mean he could then go through his garage and out onto the drive.

But since February, Herefordshire Council contractors have tried twice to get it right, only for Mr Sharp to currently be left without anything.

Mr Sharp, 63, said: "With the chair lift, my life will be transformed. At the moment I just can't get out. It is hopeless."

The contractors from Birmingham first came to his home in February and, due to delays in measurements being taken, a chairlift wasn't installed until May.

Mr Sharp had a specially made motorised wheelchair delivered in May so he was able to move around his home and outdoors.

But he said: "The lift they put on was not strong enough or big enough for a motorised wheelchair."

The contractors then decided to order a different platform, which arrived in August, only to discover a part was missing.

When the new part finally arrived, it blew the fuses, and the lift has now been completely removed, and the appropriate lift ordered.

Herefordshire Council’s Home Improvement Agency has been working with Mr Sharp to create full wheelchair access to his home via a Disabled Facilities Grant.

A Herefordshire Council spokesman said: "A wheelchair lift was installed in June. However, despite prior consultation with the company concerned, an inappropriate lift was installed at the property which was unsuitable for Mr Sharp’s needs.

"Herefordshire Council has been attempting to resolve this situation with the company for several months with no success. The company were recently instructed by the council to remove the lift following their failure to rectify the situation, and a new lift has been ordered via an alternative company.

"Unfortunately due to manufacturing and installation timescales for the new lift, the current proposed new installation date is around November 10."

Herefordshire Council has apologised to Mr Sharp and his partner, and said they are looking at alternative solutions during the time before the lift is delivered.