AN EXASPERATED Largs grandfather's efforts to have a 'broken down' reclining chair replaced have fallen on deaf ears, despite it going 'on fire' previously.

Speaking to the News, retiree Duncan Smith said he was 'insulted' to be told by North Ayrshire social services that 'he could keep it' following a recent complaint regarding the chair's breakdown.

Fed up Mr Smith says he has finally lost patience over the situation having reported numerous issues with the 'declining chair' - as he labels it - to the social work department.

"I feel like a prisoner in my own home and haven't been out for two years," he said.

The 66-year-old has also had problems getting an electric wheelchair, and instead has a manual wheelchair which he says tires him out.

He is lucky to be alive after being pronounced dead five times by medics in hospital when he had a serious bout of sepsis, which led to him becoming an amputee four years ago.

He then had gangrene and has only three toes on his other foot which severely affects his mobility, and has been housebound in recent years.

Duncan, a former chef hailing from Greenock, has lived locally for the last decade, having served the latter part of his working career as a security guard working across Scotland when he got floored by sepsis.

"I was pronounced dead in hospital five times but they managed to revive me each time," he said, "It all happened very suddenly and was completely life changing. One day I was here and the next day I was in hospital and it was frightening.

"I was given the reclining chair four years ago but it is falling apart, and started bubbling away at the top. When the social work initially came out to see it after my first complaint about the chair I was told that they would put money to one side and it would get resolved. And that was four years ago.

"All of a sudden the money disappeared and social work said they didn't have the money.

"About two or three years ago, they sent out two electricians who set the reclining chair on fire by shorting it out and there was a fire in the motor.

"The house was made for me with extra wide doors and passages, but I am getting knackered with the old wheelchair, and need an electric chair, or a prosthetic leg.

"I have been told I can't have both and it has to be one or the other, but the social work are dragging their feet on the situation, and going through money matters, I can't even get pension credit. It is draining me physically and mentally."

(Image: Newsquest)

He added: "The last time the council said to me that the reclining chair can go up and down and that is all you need. They then said I could keep it which I took as an insult after years of complaining about it.

"Why would I want to keep it? It is a pile of s**t. The adaptions are about as useful as a poke in the eye with a wet stick and it is no good to man or beast.

"Why would someone have a car that can't move or work properly? It doesn't go up, front, back or down, it is a dead piece of wood. In fact it has a wooden bar across the bottom which makes it uncomfortable to sit upon."

Duncan has been told that he will be put on a waiting list for an electric wheelchair but as yet it still awaiting an assessment.

"Every day is a constant battle with some department or other," Duncan said, "It is all very tiring and all I want is some immediate help after complaining about this for years."

A Health and Social Care Partnership spokesperson said: “Whilst we cannot comment on individual circumstances, we can confirm that Mr Smith is known to the service. In relation to the matters raised, the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) would suggest that any individual who is concerned about a service that has been provided, or feels that a service has not been provided to an appropriate standard, should make contact directly with the service”.