A housing organisation has apologised to an elderly disabled man who was injured when a handrail outside his home gave way.

Eighty-year-old Maurice Scott says he has been left in terrible pain and hardly able to move since the accident on New Year’s Eve.

Now the retired fireman, from Guiseley, has put the matter in the hands of his solicitor.

Mr Scott fell when a handrail gave way after he was told by workmen that the ramp outside his home was usable.

“The rail came apart and I fell, so much that I injured myself,” he said.

“I hurt the bottom of my back, my neck and my arm.

“I can hardly move and the pain is terrible. I can hardly get about with my walking frame now, and I have to be very, very careful.”

Mr Scott made a complaint to the housing management organisation West North West Homes Leeds, on whose board he used to sit as a tenant’s representative. A West North West homes Leeds spokesman said: “We would like to apologise to Mr Scott for this unfortunate accident, it is something that should not have happened.

“Where adaptations are being undertaken it is usual practice for the subcontractor’s work to be assessed and signed off by the WNWHLs adaptations team before a tenant is told it is OK to use.

“On this occasion this did not happen, and Mr Scott should not have been granted permission by the subcontractor for Morrison to use the ramp until work was completed to a satisfactory level.

“We went out to visit Mr Scott the day after his fall and made provision for the work to be finished to the correct standard.”

A full health and safety investigation been carried out by Morrison and its subcontractor S&C and a change of working practices has been agreed to prevent future incidents.