Lift is repaired for trapped OAPs

The affected care home residents are in their 80s

A lift at an Aberdeenshire care home where 12 pensioners have been stuck on the upper floors since Christmas has finally been fixed.

Managers at Clashfarquhar House in Stonehaven had been waiting for a replacement lift gearbox to arrive from the Italian manufacturers.

Engineers at the Church of Scotland home had expected to finish by Monday but have restored the lift early.

The residents, one man and 11 women, are all in their 80s.

Alternative accommodation was not established because it had not been expected to take so long to fix the lift.

Carrying the residents up and down the stairs had been ruled out on safety grounds. Normal emergency procedures to evacuate all occupants were put in place.

The Church of Scotland said: "CrossReach - the Church of Scotland's social care council - announced that the lift at Clashfarquhar House in Stonehaven has been restored to working order, three days earlier than expected."

No-one at Clashfarquhar House wanted to comment.