CALDICOT pensioner Elsie Payne, featured in the Free Press in recent weeks following her fall in her flat, has just been visited by her local MP.

Jessica Morden MP, went to see Elsie at her home in Brookside Sheltered Housing complex in Caldicot last Friday, after hearing about the 96-year-old's dilemma.

Brookside has been without a permanent warden since January and three weeks ago, Elsie took a fall in her flat, where she has lived for 20 years, and lay on the floor all night, until being discovered by her daughter the following morning.

Now Ms Morden has taken the case on herself and plans to contact the council to see how they plan to sort out the situation at Brookside and to find out why residents are still paying for a warden when there is none. "I think it is absolutely awful that a service has been taken away from Elsie after nearly 20 years when it is needed more now than before," said Ms Morden.

Commenting on her situation, Elsie, who is aunt to the famous Diana Dors, said: "I think it is terrible. We want a warden here. There are things I want and nobody to ask "

Pamela Caines, Elsie's daughter, pops in to check on her mother every day.

She said: "Some people living here don't have family, the warden was their only visitor. The warden would always take time to see everyone."

Pam says the cleaners at Brookside have been great at organising some events for the residents. She says: "I feel as though the cleaners have taken on the role of the warden."

Pam has expressed her concern that the complex is monitored by people in Coleford, and in a case of an emergency the call would go to Coleford and then forwarded to her.

"I have got the key to my mother's flat, so they would need to call me from Coleford if they needed to get in to my mother in an emergency. They have suggested putting in a key safe so the wardens have access to people flats in an emergency."