"A 90-year-old grandmother has been warned that her mobility scooter could be confiscated by housing bosses, after they labelled it a fire hazard.
Audrey Lever says that she and her neighbours in Tonge Moor have been told by Bolton at Home that their scooters will be taken away if they are not removed from communal hallways, following safety inspections that have taken place since the Grenfell Tower disaster.
But the 90-year-old says her flat is too small to store her scooter — which she recently bought for £1,000 — and that the social housing provider is yet to offer alternative storage.
MP Sir David Crausby, who has been contacted by the affected residents, described the situation as 'political correctness gone mad'.
Mrs Lever, who lives in a two-storey block in Shireburn Avenue, said: "We were told that everything in the communal entrance hall had to be removed because it is a fire hazard.
"But there is not enough room in my flat for my scooter. You might get it through the doorway, but that would be about it.
"The only alternative would be to put it outside, but then it would be stolen.
"Nobody has ever made a complaint about the scooters being parked in the hallway before, but since Grenfell there have been inspectors from Bolton at Home looking around every now and again and telling us they need to be moved.
"My scooter is tucked away under the stairs and is no problem to anyone.
"We have had two or three letters from Bolton at Home now and we have been given until November 30 to move them, or they will be taken away."
Neither Mrs Lever's daughter nor granddaughter live locally, meaning she relies on her mobility scooter to get around.
There are at least five scooters in her building which are at risk of being removed and Bolton at Home bosses say they 'won't compromise' on safety, though they have pledged to discuss other options with residents.
Mrs Lever added: "I don't want them to take my scooter away. It cost me £1,000 and I can't afford to lose it.
"I can walk but I can't carry anything, so the scooter really helps me.
"When the weather is reasonable it means I can go out of the house every day.
"I know that some of the newer buildings around here have storage spaces for scooters built in, but ours is an older building.
"Bolton at Home should be updating the buildings instead of threatening to take our scooters away."
Sir David, the MP for Bolton North East, said: "It seems to me like political correctness gone mad. You have got to be reasonable and practical about these things.
"You have to take fire hazards seriously, but there needs to be a balanced judgement.
"This seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
"I will be lobbying the powers that be to try and get a sensible solution."
An independent fire safety risk assessor told The Bolton News that the scooter could constitute a fire risk, particularly if its battery was charging or if it was blocking an exit, as communal areas should be kept clear of potential sources of ignition or combustible items.
A Bolton at Home spokesman said: “We will speak with our customers who have mobility scooters at Shireburn Avenue again. Before we take any action we want to better understand their individual needs and discuss potential options for safe and secure storage.
"We wrote to customers as we won’t compromise when it comes to their safety, and their neighbours’ safety, and we can’t allow blocked access in communal areas.
"We will work with customers to address their individual circumstances and assess the best course of action.”
Following the Grenfell Tower disaster in London earlier this year, which killed 71 people, all buildings of six storeys and above across Greater Manchester were inspected for fire risks."