A DISABLED pensioner was left isolated after her telephone lifeline disconnected following BT maintenance work.

Eileen Stratford, 74, who wears an emergency pendant around her neck, lost the use of her panic button and telephone last Friday.

It took BT engineers, who she says accidentally cut her off while carrying out maintenance work on a telephone pole near her home in Fairford Crescent, Penhill, until Wednesday to rectify the problem.

BT says the line could have broken because of wear and tear.

It had no record of her as a priority telephone user and has invited her to sign up for their free priority repair scheme, as well as claim for compensation.

Mrs Stratford said: " I felt terrible without it because that's the only lifeline I have got.

"All I wanted to do was pick up the phone but I couldn't. Now I am just glad it is working again."

Mrs Stratford's daughter Sheena Stone said: "They accepted that it was their fault but they didn't seem in a hurry to help put it right.

"My mother can hardly stand and this button is her lifeline."

Mrs Stone, 42, who lives in Bristol, feared her mother could have fallen and been left hours waiting for help.

She would have travelled to Swindon to help but was expecting to be called into hospital for an operation.

"It is disgusting that an old lady was left with no means of calling for help and it wasn't even her fault," said Mrs Stone.

Mrs Stratford suffered a stroke at birth which paralysed the right side of her body.

It means she can just about walk but needs help dressing, washing and with the housework. Her husband Arthur died aged 78 last August.

Mrs Stratford has fallen twice in the last year and on both occasions was able to use her special Home Line pendant to call for help.

Mrs Stone added: "Home Line is brilliant. They arrived at my mother's house to help her within minutes.

"She was very anxious just knowing that they were no longer at the end of the line."

Paul Dorrell, a spokesman for BT said an engineer was at Mrs Stratford's house correcting the fault on Wednes-day.

He said there was no evidence to suggest the line had been cut but had in fact broken through normal wear and tear.

"We aimed to have the line fixed by Monday but unfortunately we missed that deadline," he said.

"We had no record of Mrs Stratford using the Home Line system so we didn't know she was vulnerable."

For more details about the priority repair scheme call BT by dialling 150.