A GRAN from the Port whose disability made her a 'prisoner in her own home' now has a new lease of life and is calling on developers to build more accessible houses.

Margie Sherrard was forced to live upstairs in her house on the same level as the bathroom because of her mobility problems.

She had to wait years to be allocated a specially adapted bungalow in Moray Road and says more people should get the same opportunity.

Margie, 59, said: "I had to wait four years to get this bungalow.

"The sad thing is, you've got to wait for somebody to die before you get one of these houses.

"I was living in a four-bedroom family house in Oronsay Avenue and I was stuck upstairs because that's where my bathroom was.

"I was in my bed and my husband Roy would bring my dinner in and I could get to the toilet - that was it.

"I felt like a prisoner in my own home."

Margie has reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, a disorder that causes lasting pain in an arm or leg and sometimes shows up a result of an injury.

It has affected Margie down her left hand side and she has to use a wheelchair.

She said the warning signs started when she was out driving in her car.

Margie said: "I was pushing down on the clutch and it was hurting my foot.

"Then sometimes my leg would just give way."

As well as RSD, she has two slipped discs and osteopenia, which means her bones are weaker than they should be, and Reynaud's, which affects her circulation.

Margie was prescribed morphine for the pain and long-term use of the drug has impaired her memory.

She lives with Roy, 63, and said it was like a dream come true when the couple - who have two sons and a daughter, seven grandsons and a great-great granddaughter - moved into the two-bedroom house.

The spacious house has a wetroom and Margie can get round the rooms in her wheelchair.

Councillor Jim MacLeod took up Margie's case and helped her get a suitable house along with the Centre for Independent Living.

He said: "I was really pleased when Margaret, her husband and son were eventually able to get a wheelchair accessible home after struggling for several years to get a suitable property.

"But it flags up yet again the need to build more wheelchair accessible homes throughout Inverclyde, particularly an adequate number of family homes.

"It was dreadful that they had to move away from the Oronsay estate where they had family, friends, neighbours and a support network.

"This was at a time when River Clyde Homes built almost 70 new properties in Oronsay.

"If they'd built a few wheelchair accessible family homes then Margaret and her family could have continued to stay on the estate and near to loved ones.

"Sadly disabled people have too often had to wait until another person died or gone in to a care home before they have managed to get rehoused.

"That is simply not good enough."

Margie says she is so relieved that her housing nightmare is over at last.

She told the Tele: "It was terrible before, I was going round the bend not being able to get out.

"It was affecting my mental health.

"I feel more bungalows like this should be built.

"I just want other people to have what I have - people shouldn't have to wait years to get a house that suits their needs."