BT workmen dig 4ft trench right outside pensioner's house over night leaving her stuck in her own home.

An Englishman's home is his castle, so the saying goes.

And it appears that engineers outside 87-year-old Joan Bibby's house agree with the adage after they dug a four foot wide trench outside her house.
However, instead of keeping people out, the hole in the floor appears to have left the pensioner stuck in her own house in Claughton, Merseyside.
Joan Bibby is a prisoner in her own home after the entrance to her house was blocked by a 4ft-wide trench that appeared over night

Mrs Bibby is housebound but she has carers and helpers who need to get in to check she is okay

The work took place on behalf of BT Openreach overnight last night and without warning according to Mrs Bibby's son who says she now has no way of getting out.

Her son James said: 'My mother is housebound anyway but she has regular visits from people coming in to clean and to help her.


The trench is believed to have been dug by a contractor working on behalf of BT Openreach

'She also has a partially-sighted friend who drops in on her and of course that won’t be possible at the moment.
'My main concern is that she could decide to go outside during the night and you can only imagine what would happen.
'I cannot believe that the workers did not think it necessary to install some sort of access ramp - it doesn’t make sense.'
However, BT says that they did speak to Mrs Bibby and her neighbours about the work that would be carried.
A spokesman said they spoke to Mrs Bibby before the work took place and she informed them that she would use an entrance to the back of her home while it was carried out.
Wirral Council explained it is not responsible for informing residents of BT work, however it has sent an officer along to carry out an inspection.

A spokesman for BT is yet to comment.