PENSIONERS in a city council sheltered housing complex have branded their security system a farce.

Residents at Windale House, Field Avenue, Blackbird Leys, say carers, families and postman have struggled to get in using an intercom system answered in Lancashire and Eynsham.

They say mail has been delayed by over a week with postmen unable to get into the lobby to leave post.

Ian Woods, 69, has lived in Windale House for five years after suffering from a stroke, heart attacks and cancer.

He said: “Everybody is affected. I’m getting letters, special delivery, 10 days late.

“It says on the back of the letters ‘no access’ — the postman can’t get in.

“I got a lot of mail about two weeks ago, there was a letter sent nine days before from the Churchill Hospital asking me to an MRI and CAT scan and the letter arrived four days after the appointment.

“The hospital has had to fit me in, but if that had been an operation I’d have been put back to the bottom of the list.”

The intercom system does not allow visitors to contact residents directly, relying on remote staff allowing access.

Mr Woods, a retired special needs teacher has resorted to sitting by the door when he is expecting visitors to let them in. He said: “But I can’t be responsible for 32 other flats.”

Richard Hall, of Royal Mail, confirmed postmen had struggled to get in at times.

He added: “We are working with the city council to request the time of the service button is changed or to provide a key.”

But Oxford City Council says the door system had been checked this week and was working. Spokesman Louisa Dean said the system was monitored by a contractor.

“This is done from their local control centre in Eynsham 8am to 8pm. From 8pm until 8am their 24-hour contact centre in Rawtenstall, Lancashire monitors the calls.”

“If calls are made to Windale House after 8pm, the call centre always contacts a resident by phone to ascertain if they wish the visitor to be let in.

But she admitted calls between 8pm and 8am were treated as “low priority” and there would be some delay.

The explanation was no comfort to Raymond Cantwell, 67, who walks with a stick. He said: “They need to get off their backside and come and look. A friend came to visit on Monday and was asked for a code to get in – we haven’t got one.”

Last week, the Oxford Mail reported on pensioners stranded in their Wood Farm sheltered accommodation by a broken down lift.

The lift at the property in Atkins Court was fixed on Wednesday, 10 days after it first failed.