A DISABLED Galashiels community councillor has called on Scottish Borders Council to ensure disabled facilities throughout the region are fit for purpose, after he was trapped in a lift prior to this month's community council meeting.

Tony Brown, 50, had arrived 20 minutes early for the meeting, which was due to start at 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 6 at the Burgh Hall in Galashiels. He tried to make his way to the second floor, but got caught in the lift when his wheelchair wouldn't go in the full distance and his feet were caught in the door.

He raised the alarm, but no one else was in the building at the time. He had to wait 10 minutes for fellow councillor Tom Ingoldsby to arrive, and after an unsuccessful attempt to free him, Mr Ingoldsby called Scottish Fire and Rescue who arrived and forced the lift open 15 minutes later.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph, Tony Brown said: “The ten minutes I had to wait for Tom to arrive felt like ten hours. I am not claustrophobic, but I began to panic. Thankfully Scottish Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene very quickly.

“It has always been a tight squeeze in that lift. The width is just about OK, although it could do with being slightly wider. But it is the length that is the problem. I wasn’t far enough back off the door, and as I was going up, my feet were catching on the door.

“I would like to see a more suitable lift installed, or at least some method put in place to ensure this doesn't happen to anybody else.

Tony has been disabled since birth with Spina Bifida. The condition means he has no feelings in his limbs from the waste down and has always had to rely on a wheelchair.

In his younger years, this meant doing the things many take for granted were off limits. “If I wanted to attend the cinema, I had be carried up and down the stairs, because they had no lift access back then. That has changed now and things are improving. I have noticed a huge improvement in the last 10-15 years.

“Galashiels is much more wheelchair friendly. New developments are built with much better wheelchair access. But by law, any new development doesn’t have to be totally accessible, it only needs to have a reasonable amount of access. As long as they have got an accessible entrance and exit, and a disabled toilet, they will pass.

"So in terms of shops, there might still be a problem in terms of narrow isles and shelving. For other venues, the lift might be the issue. The Burgh Hall isn't alone in that. Much more still needs to be done across the town.”

When contacted about the matter, a spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “We will look into this matter and issue additional advice to users of the lift if required.”