New door battle for Derbyshire war hero

Roy Pugh with the ill-fitting door at his Pasteur Avenue home.

Roy Pugh, 83, of Pasteur Avenue, Ripley, had a ramp fitted two years ago after a stroke left him unable to walk as well as he used to.

However, the new door which was fitted at the same time by Future Homescape contractor MasterDor hasn’t locked properly since - leaving Roy constantly in two minds as to whether the door will open again or if it is even properly locked.

He said: “When the ramp was put in they altered the front door - there was a little step which needed to come out they said.

Clear daylight can be seen through the bottom of Roy Pugh's ill-fitting door at his Pasteur Avenue home even in the locked position.

“I said I could have got a board down, but they wouldn’t have it.

“As soon as it was done I went into town and when I got back I couldn’t get back in.

“It’s now been like that two years. Sometimes I get locked in or out and I even put my scooter behind the door at night to make sure no-one can get in.

Roy says he has been in touch with Futures Homescape and MasterDor ‘four or five times’ but that the contractors ‘don’t want anything to do with it’.

He said: “The reason it doesn’t work is that there is a gap at the top and it sticks out at the bottom. Everyone who sees it knows that is hasn’t been fitted properly, but when MasterDor come out they say that it is me who is not using it properly. Now they say they can get somebody out to look at it in two or three months - that is no good to me.”

Roy was the subject of a campaign two years ago to get the ramp fitted after a stroke had left the decorated war hero unable to walk.

A Futures Housing Group spokesperson said: “After Derbyshire County Council contacted us in April to make us aware of an issue with the front door and lock at one of our properties, we contracted MasterDor to carry out a repair.

“A solution was initially agreed with MasterDor and Derbyshire County Council which led to the door being repaired, a new lock being fitted and new keys being provided to the customer on May 5.

The lock on Roy Pugh's ill-fitting door at his Pasteur Avenue home.

“On June 6, Futures were advised by Derbyshire County Council that the door needed a further readjustment so arrangements were made for MasterDor to revisit the property.

“This repair was subsequently made and was assessed and approved by a Derbyshire County Council Occupational Therapist yesterday (Tuesday 14th June).”