AN 84-year-old mother trapped in an Evesham lift was freed after her friend repeatedly kicked the door.

Pat Kearsey, who has breathing difficulties, said the kicking let people outside know that they were stuck in the Wallace House lift.

Ms Kearsey and Jenny Wood, both from Sedgeberrow, were in the lift for 15 minutes after a fitness class on August 17.

"It was like being in a shoebox as there's no glass. Neither of us could get signal on our phones. It was a horrible feeling," Ms Kearsey said.

"It's so dangerous. I have to use an inhaler to breath occasionally and thought if we have to be here a long time what will we do?

"I never thought I would get caught in a lift. If the staff had left and locked up we wouldn't be here.

"Jenny was getting uptight and agitated and in desperation kicked the door. I kept my cool because I had a sister who had claustrophobia."

When the two friends entered the lift they remarked that Ms Kearsey's sister would not have used the lift.

"I said to Jenny 'imagine Kath getting in here'. Afterwards we laughed and said she was looking over us saying 'I told you so'," Ms Kearsey said.

Ms Kearsey's sister passed away 12 months ago.

The community centre closes at 4pm and the pair got stuck at 3.45pm, thinking they could be forced stay in the lift overnight.

"Jenny pressed the button and nothing happened. She pressed the alarm button and it rang out," Ms Kearsey added.

"She held onto the bell and eventually she kicked the door really hard and it came open."

Emma Kearsey, Ms Kearsey's daughter, 46, said: "It was lucky my mum stayed calm, it could have been fatal.

"I fear that if Jenny hadn't kicked the door they would have been locked in that building, that was the only way they got out.

"It was an extremely distressing situation for them and I felt annoyed and shocked that it happened.

"My mother has breathing difficulties, which is why she started going to the class in January. It was one of the hottest days of the year."

Ms Kearsey carries an inhaler with her at all times, ever since she was hospitalised with a chest infection three years ago.

The experience was 'traumatic' for the pair, according to Ms Kearsey's daughter.

"It's not like the lift is used once in a blue moon, lots of people use that lift. I think the majority of people who go to the centre are vulnerable," she said.

Jenny Wood, 75, said: "It was a very disturbing experience for both of us.

"Because Pat was calm, it helped me as my brain was working overtime. I thought what can we do apart from press the button.

"Emma usually takes Pat to the class but I took her on this occasion. I transport other people from the house but don't usually get in the lift."

Ms Wood, who has been friends with Ms Kearsey for 18 years, said she kicked the door seven times, alerting people outside they were trapped.

The pair said they want people to be aware of the issue as 800 people use the centre.

Ms Kearsey said she does not want to get Wallace House into trouble but is worried someone else may become trapped.

Ms Wood says she hopes to raise money for a new lift so something good can come out of the nasty experience.

The Wallace House centre manager said: "As a precaution, the lift has not been used from the minute they came out.

"I don't know what happened, it wasn't broken before. They were in there for between five and seven minutes, not 15 minutes.

"They didn't kick the door open. A woman upstairs with a community group pressed the button to open the lift and there were two ladies there.

"I banged on the lift door downstairs and shouted up but there was no response. I apologised to Jenny the next day."

The manager said she thinks the lift must be broken because it never came down.