'When they tell me to go online, I tell them the only line I have is the one I do my washing on'

“I USED to be so active and I'd go out every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday - now I’m just here by myself most days.”

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

When Hilda Pannell lost her husband 37 years ago, she began looking for her forever home.

Tucked away at the bottom of a steep hill off Porchester Road near Mapperley, the 96-year-old has lived a quiet and peaceful life since moving into her bungalow in 1993.

Formerly a dinner lady and later a carer for her parents, Hilda says she has always been sociable since her childhood in Radford.

But she now goes days without seeing or speaking to anyone.

Having fallen over twice when walking down the public path to her house - one of those times hitting her head - Hilda now struggles to leave her home because she feels “terrified” to go up and down the steep hill.

On one side of the hill is a handrail. But Hilda, who walks with a stick, says she feels unsupported as it only stretches so far from her door to the top of the path. As a result, she has been trying to get the handrail extended to the corner of the main road since March 20, asking for help from everyone she can think of.

What Hilda thought would be a straightforward call to the council has turned into an ongoing fight for anyone to listen.

However, after the Post got in touch, Nottingham City Council says it is looking into the case, with Nottingham Health and Care Point representatives having spoken to Hilda on Friday.

Aside from the city council, she has tried to call various organisations, including NHS third-party care providers and disability charities.

Yet, despite repeated calls and letters, Hilda got nowhere after 85 days of trying and is still scared to leave her home as she’s afraid of falling over.