A woman has claimed that a broken lift in her elderly mother's block of flats contributed to her death.

Residents in the three-storey building in Camberley, Surrey, have been without a lift since it stopped working in March.

Nicky Dowman told the BBC "traversing the stairs up and down on a near-daily basis really took a toll" on her 87-year-old mum Audrey West, who had rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition.

Property manager FirstPort said it took action "from the outset" to address the impact on residents from the lift, which needed a "comprehensive upgrade" after it broke down.

"We also explored ways to accelerate the process and provide temporary alternatives, including a stairlift," it added.

Dowman said she decided her mother could not stay in the flat - her home for 26 years - without the lift.

"[My mum] would almost fall asleep [going up the stairs] because she was so tired."

"Watching how that affected her [...] was really hard", Dowman continued.

"She needed to be in a safe environment."

Dowman detailed that her mother's flat reached over 40 degrees during this year's heatwaves.

"[It was like living in] a steam room and not being able to escape."

Dowman added that eventually she got her mother out of the flat to a care home.

But she added: "It was too late. In a few days she passed away".

Gordon Lee's 82-year-old mother Janet lived in the same building and she cannot walk without the aid of a walker.

Lee said she was completely reliant on the lift and used it for everything from doing her recycling and washing to visiting him or his sister.

He said she has been "stuck" in the flat for months, which has left her socially isolated.

Lee added that FirstPort's communication had been "absolutely terrible".

"They promise to get back to you within three weeks, which in itself is unacceptable.

"[Then what they] send us is vague and hasn't been very helpful."

FirstPort said residents had been kept informed about the situation "throughout, including through regular written updates, meetings, and direct contact on site".

"We will continue to keep residents updated and do everything reasonably within our control to restore the lift as quickly as possible."

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