ANGRY residents of a Southampton tower block have hit out at after being left without a lift for three days following a fire.

Residents have complained they have been forced to climb up the 24-floor Canberra Towers in Weston leaving some of them breathless and exhausted.

Others are angry about how long it has taken Southampton City Council to fix the lifts, despite some residents contacting them several times a day.

This comes after more than 40 firefighters were called to a blaze at the high-rise building last weekend, which broke out in a tumble dryer on the seventh floor.

Firefighters used six sets of breathing apparatus, three main jets and an aerial ladder platform to tackle the fire.

Jason Moss, 42, who doesn’t work due to suffering from a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said his spare oxygen tank has had to be used to help other residents who are running out of breath from walking up the tower.

He said: “Southampton City Council are not interested in these towers, and I’ve had to give my oxygen tank to other people who suffer from asthma and even one person whose lips had gone blue from having to get up the stairs.

“I’ve been trying to get out of this place for years and have even suffered alopecia from the stress of living here.”

His partner Charlotte Paddington said: “I have mental nightmares of living here and it’s affecting my mental health.”

According to another resident, Lewis Pearce, 25, who works in removals and lives on the 18th floor, the lifts came back on for one hour on Sunday and were then turned off.

He said: “I was ringing the council every hour for six hours for them to come and help.

“They don’t seem to care and nobody has been checking on us - my neighbour had an asthma attack last night from having to walk up the flights of stairs.”

Another resident, situated on floor 20, said: “My daughter is five years old and she is severely asthmatic, so she can’t walk up the stairs and neither can I, as I have had operations meaning I can’t carry her - I can’t leave the block.”

Residents pay £3.50 per week for services such as the lifts to be in working condition and they received a letter on Tuesday 4 June stating that the lifts would be fixed by Wednesday afternoon, which have been completed.

A Southampton City Council spokesperson said: “Following a small fire in one of the flats, the lifts at Canberra Towers were taken out of service after discovering a fault.

"As tenant safety is our number one priority we have been working hard to correct this fault.

"During this time we made every effort to contact and support residents throughout the disruption, including providing an enhanced staff presence on site, visiting known vulnerable residents and offering alternative temporary accommodation to those who were most affected.

"We’re pleased to say the lifts are back in operation and would like to thank residents for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”