War hero lay on the floor of his home for two days after falling Harold Lee, 99, fell over in Derby and was unable to get up or call for help He used to have a free intercom but it was taken away a few weeks ago Former Desert Rat was discovered only when his grandson came to visit A Second World War veteran lay helpless on the floor of his sheltered accommodation for two and a half days after the council cut his intercom to save just 42 pence a day. Great-grandfather and former Desert Rat Harold Lee, 99, was terrified he would die alone after falling face down and finding he was totally unable to get up or call for help. An alarm he was carrying was desperately out of reach when he collapsed and no one came to check on him because his intercom had been disconnected in a cost-cutting drive. Neglected: Harold Lee, pictured left this week and right while serving in the Desert Rats, was left lying on the floor of his home for two days after his intercom was cut off On duty: The Second World War veteran, pictured in 1942, has been 'let down', according to his son After his grandson found him lying on the floor days later, Mr Lee's family furiously blamed staff for risking his life, adding: "This is a man who made this country what it is by going to war so you would think he'd be worth 42p." Mr Lee, who claims he was warned the intercom would be cut off if he didn't pay the money himself just weeks before the fall, yesterday maintained he will not pay up because the tax has been "thrust upon him." The proud veteran, a widower who served twice in the allied campaign against Rommel in North Africa, collapsed in May while reaching for a remote control in his room at a housing complex run by Derwent Living in Derby. As he fell, a pendant he carries with an inbuilt alarm flew from his hands, landing out of his reach. Comrades: Mr Lee, now 99, is shown top left with some of his fellow Desert Rats during the war Exotic: Mr Lee served in the Middle East with the Desert Rats - but has now been left infirm Painfully collapsed on the floor, he then found he had no strength to pull himself up. I could only get up on one arm. The pendant which I'd had in my hand went flying across the floor and I didn't know where it was,' he said. I just lay there. I went to sleep eventually, woke up the next morning, and then did the same again. Mr Lee was eventually discovered when his grandson Jaa, 24, came to visit him. He was rushed to hospital, where he spent three and a half weeks suffering from bad bruising between his abdomen and his knees. Mr Lee was a Signalman in the forces, fixing phone lines so troops could communicate with one another. He came under enemy fire in Libya, where the truck he was travelling in was strafed by a German fighter. Looking out: Second World War veteran Harold Lee sits in his flat after recovering from a fall in Derby Cuts: Mr Lee now has to pay 42p per day for an intercom service at his home in Derby, pictured His son Jules, 63, said the family is considering legal action and feel "extremely let down and disappointed" at the way his war hero father has been treated. It could have been fatal had he not been found,' he added. 'This is a man who made this country what it is by going to war so you would think he'd be worth 42p a day. At the age of 99 how can you expect someone to always remember to wear a pendant? As far as I'm concerned, the intercom is the only way they could guarantee his safety because it's a guaranteed check once a day. Mr Lee, who has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and lost his wife Mabel two years ago, said he was contacted by Derwent Living about the 42p charge just a couple of months before the free intercom was taken away. "I don't think the council should have ever considered cutting that funding," he added. Days gone by: Harold Lee is pictured in his early twenties (left) and with his wife, Mabel, in 1946 (right) Betrayal: 'This is a man who made this country what it is by going to war so you would think he'd be worth 42p,' said his son Upset: Mr Lee was rescued from his ordeal only when his grandson went to visit him Derwent Living insisted it had organised a 12-month campaign to give residents, carers and next of kin notice and blamed the change on cuts in the amount of cash it is given by Derby City Council. The "daily welfare call" had been covered by the council but this was pulled after the authority's housing-related support budget was cut from £6,472,000 in 2012-13 to £3,739,000 in this financial year. Gemma Trowbridge, from Derwent Living, said: "We were disappointed by the council's decision to cut the funding. Our thoughts are with Harold and his family following his distress. Councillor Mark Tittley, cabinet member for adults and health, said: "The council recognises that housing-related support services are valuable to help vulnerable people live independently, however they are not mandatory and as such they are not the types of services that councils have to make available by law."