A 93-year-old woman has been forced to pay for her own stairlift after a council told her it did not have the funds to provide one.

Phyllis Wilson, from Cockerton, was assessed by Darlington Borough Council's social services team in March and was told she was suitable for a free stairlift.

Weeks later, the authority contacted her to say she would not be getting the equipment because the funding for disabled facilities in the borough had been spent.

Mrs Wilson's son, Colin, said his mother, who has chronic angina, found it impossible to get up and down the stairs without using a lift.

"She can't walk very well, she's 93 after all," he said.

"We applied through the doctor for a stairlift a couple of years ago and they came and viewed the house and said no, but that they would review it in 18 months time.

"They came back in March and said yes she could have one. The next thing we knew was that there was a phone call saying there was no money."

Mr Wilson said his mother had hired a stairlift for six months at a cost of £195.

He said; "She is on a pension and is not well off. After she was turned down last time, she hired one for a year for £400 but couldn't afford to do that again.

"Social services asked if we could move her bed downstairs but the rooms are too small.

"My mother worked all her life and brought up four boys on her own and I feel she deserves better than this."

A council spokesman said money for stairlifts came from a Government grant for disabled facilities.

"When new funding comes in in April there is a waiting list already," he said.

"It is a finite resource and the funding went quickly.

"We would have told this lady that the stairlift was subject to funding.

"If she thought otherwise, then apologies.

"Extra funding is due to come online and this lady remains a priority."

Charles Johnson, chairman of Darlington Age Concern and a Conservative councillor, said it was worrying that funds were not available for people such as Mrs Wilson.

"Certainly 93-year-olds should be a priority," Coun Johnson said.