EXCLUSIVEWere prisoners in our French holiday home: Elderly British couple face spending their trip stranded in apartment because of broken lift

An elderly British couple say they are prisoners in their French holiday home because the lift is broken – and they can’t take the stairs each day.

Pensioners Rose and Peter Bailey have been left with little choice but to spend their days stuck inside the apartment up on the eighth floor of their apartment block on the island of Corsica rather than risk going up and down the 88 stone steps.

Furious Rose, 70, complained to the building owners and the online booking agent they say they have been fobbed off with excuses and have had the start of the 11-night holiday completely ruined.

She said: ‘By the time I climbed the stairs I was breathless and shaky. My husband is not as steady on his feet and we are worried he could have a fall on the very steep stone steps.

‘We have tried to get moved or get a refund but have been told that is not possible. The reason we booked the flat was because it had a lift and it was only when we arrived found out it had been broken for over a week.’

Pensioners Rose and Peter Bailey (pictured) have been left with little choice but to spend their days stuck inside the apartment up on the eighth floor of their apartment block on the island of Corsica rather than risk going up and down the 88 stone steps

Peter in the apartment block. The couple, from Teignmouth, Devon, paid £429 for five nights stay at the Hyacinthe apartments in the resort of Ajaccio on the French island of Corsica and claim they have been left stranded as prisoners in their apartment after the lift broke 

Pictured: The apartment blocked where Rose and Peter are staying. The couple say the start to their 11-night stay on the French island has been ruined because of the broken lift

The couple, from Teignmouth, Devon, paid £429 for five nights stay at the Hyacinthe apartments

Peter, 76, suffers from Primary Progressive Aphasia, a rare form of dementia linked to Alzheimers.

He has been left confused as to why they cannot use the lift in the apartment block and is also unsteady of his feet meaning the climb is treacherous.

The couple, from Teignmouth, Devon, paid £429 for five nights stay at the Hyacinthe apartments in the resort of Ajaccio on the French island of Corsica.

They had reserved the one-bedroom flat using the Booking.com website where the money was paid prior to arrival to the owners. The flat they had chosen is also advertised on Airbnb website.

When they arrived two days ago, they were stunned to find an ‘out of order’ sign on the lift and had to carry their cases up eight flights of stairs.

Rose said: ‘The agency that manages the flat said this was outside their responsibility and they knew nothing about it.

‘When we contacted Booking.com and told them we could not climb all the stairs we were told that the lift would be repaired the following evening, but nothing has happened.’

After venturing out for an evening meal they both struggled to ascend the 88 stairs.

‘It was very distressful for my husband who cannot understand why we cannot take the lift. He has health issues and shortly before coming away on holiday he had a fall. I am worried that he will fall on the stairs.

Peter (pictured), 76, suffers from Primary Progressive Aphasia, a rare form of dementia linked to Alzheimers. He has been left confused as to why they cannot use the lift in the apartment block and is also unsteady of his feet meaning the climb is treacherous

‘I spoke with Booking.com and told them we were trapped inside without food and he was too frail to go up and down the stairs. The girl I spoke to said it was down to the owner and they offered a discount on their booking fee.

‘When I asked for a refund, they said the owner already had the fee for the flat and was refusing to return any of our money. I was in tears on the phone and asked to speak with someone more senior and she just said there was no one else ask.

‘I just feel so disappointed that they have done nothing as they have a moral duty to their customers.’

Rose added that her husband cannot be left on his own, but she had no choice but to make a dash to the nearest supermarket on her own to get some food.

She said: ‘Peter needs constant supervision but we had nothing to eat for breakfast so I had to be as quick as possible. Climbing the 88 steps just left me breathless and shaky. It has been so stressful and not the start to a holiday that we wanted. We want to move, but Booking.com have not been able to find anywhere and hotels near us are all booked up.

Booking.com have been contacted for comment.