A YORK pensioner may have to crawl up his stairs for another two weeks because of further delays in replacing his stairlift.

The Evening Press reported last week how 81-year-old John Garner had been rushed to hospital after having to haul himself up stairs over a period of almost a fortnight at his council home in Spalding Avenue, Clifton, simply to get to the toilet.

Mr Garner developed breathing problems not long after once again climbing the stairs, and his daughter, Sally, believed the exertion was worsening his pre-existing health problems, which include a heart defect and kidney trouble.

His wife, Denise, is also in poor health and needs to use the stairlift as well. The couple contacted the Press after three failed attempts to repair the stairlift, which was provided by City of York Council.

Sally told the Evening Press yesterday that York Hospital was now ready to discharge her father by Friday, and was keen for him to leave because he would be at risk of catching a bug if he stayed there.

But a workman who had come to the house to measure up and replace the lift with another second-hand one had said it might be two to three weeks before it could be installed.

She said City of York Council had provided a chemical toilet downstairs, but her father would not be able to get up the stairs to bed. "He'll have to sleep on the settee," she said.

"How long is it going to take? It will be five weeks since it first broke down, and yet it is supposed to be being treated as an emergency. It's a joke."

City of York Council said today it was doing all it could for the couple.

"We have managed to locate a second-hand replacement chair lift, which is only six months old," said a spokesman.

"However, for warranty purposes, we need to get the original installers to fit it and they cannot do so until March 17.

"In the meantime, the council's housing and social services staff will continue to work with the couple to help them while they are without a lift."

Updated: 10:51 Wednesday, March 05, 2003