Pensioners have been “trapped” in a “freezing” block of flats after going several days without heating, hot water and a working lift.

Residents aged between 70 and 97 at Seaview House in Canterbury Road, Herne Bay, say they have endured five days with a broken boiler.

They have been relying on blankets, hot water bottles and wearing numerous layers to stave off the cold.

After the boiler stopped working on Friday, engineers arrived the next day to fix it, but, according to resident Christine Townson, it only feels like “a candle’s lit in the radiators”.

“It is absolutely freezing,” she said. “I went out and bought myself a convector heater, but it only heats one room at a time.

“We feel let down and like we aren’t cared for.” The boiler was fitted last October, but has since broken down four times, according to Ms Townson.

She is suffering from a chest infection, arthritis and “a bad heart”, which doctors have said would be made worse by the cold.

She said: “The lift broke on Monday too, so anyone who can’t walk and lives above the ground floor is trapped up there.”

Residents were offered blow heaters by East Kent Housing, which runs the retirement accommodation on the council’s behalf, but several turned them down fearing they would affect their breathing.

Lily McFarlane, who is in her 80s, said the ordeal has left her feeling “freezing cold” and “ill”.

Her situation was made worse by poorly fitted windows which let draughts into her flat.

Ms McFarlane’s niece, Jan Davis, said: “She’s gone without a shower all this time and can’t get downstairs because she’s in a wheelchair.”

Canterbury City Council spokesman Robert Davies apologised for the issues residents in the flats have experienced, but labelled the problems “intermittent”.

He said: “This issue was first reported to us on Saturday and our engineers attended within four hours.

“Repairs were made and when they left the building it was running, and still was later that evening when it was checked again.

“Multiple visits have been made every day since to try to resolve the issue and, on each occasion, the engineers did not leave until it was working.”

Mr Davies added that repair work was going to take place on Wednesday to “fix the issue once and for all”.