Dartford firefighters have rescued five adults and a baby, who were stuck in a broken lift.

The crew were called to Matalan in Prospect Place, at 12.46pm.

Joanne Tatler had gone on a shopping trip with her 14-year-old son Antony, and partner Richard Hill, when they entered the lift on the top floor.

They were then joined by two ladies and a 11-month-old baby boy in a pushchair.

The 48-year-old said: “We got into the lift on the first floor an a woman came in with a pushchair. We started to go down and it just stopped.

"We were all a bit unsettled and we started ringing the bell for 10 minutes before anyone answered.

“Someone, who we assumed was the manager, said he had called the fire service and I told him three of us, myself, my son, and the baby’s mother, were asthmatics, and that there was a baby in the lift, but he just went away.

“The firefighters couldn’t open the lift and they had to call an engineer, we asked if we could have water dropped down to us because it was so hot, but they said no.”

After an hour and 15 minutes Miss Tatler and her family were freed from the lift.

She said: “When they unlocked the door the manager just said ‘I’m sorry about that’ and asked if any of us were planning on seeking medical assistance.

“He didn’t ask if we were okay, or if the baby was okay, he was more concerned about the company.”