Earth wire used as switching wire

[Mallet136!]

Hi,
I have taken down a pull switch with the intent of blanking off and covering up the hole. Since then I've not been able to use the wall switch to control the light. The wall switch is using the earth wire with red sheath on as a switch wire (its in the common terminal see image 1). How do i connect the cables in image 2 to get the switch working again.
Image 2 the cable on the right is the live feed, left is the switching wire.
Thanks in advance

Note: I know using the earth wire as a switch live is wrong, but i don't think there's another solution without ripping up all the floor boards....

 

[oldbutnotdead]

So you are converting from 2 way switching to 1 way switching?
In your pic 2, how were the 2 cores connected in the old pullswitch?
If (as would be normal) the red was supply and the black goes back to the lamp then;
At your switch in pic 1, remove the sleeved earth core from the top terminal, remove the red sleeving, replace with royal sleeving (earth stripe), connect it to the earth terminal on the switchplate or backbox.
Still at the switch, remove the red core from its current position, connect it to the top terminal.
Moving to pic 2, acquire some Wago blocks and an appropriate maintenance free enclosure.
Connect all 3 cores from the live feed to the same 3 cores on the switch cable so red-red, black-black, earth-earth (and replace red sleeving with earth sleeving where needed).
Make sure it works.
If the switch in pic 1 is upside down (so up is on) just move the black core to the other bottom terminal. Or rotate the switch by 180 degrees.
Put the enclosure on, stuff it up into the ceiling, make sure it still works, fill the hole in.

EDIT-IMPORTANT.
Just noticed the cpc has been clipped very short in your 'live' cable. You MUST test it to ensure it is actually connected to earth. If it isn't you'll need to investigate at the light fitting.

 

[Mallet136!]

That's worked a treat, cheers mate

 

[Risteard]

Note: I know using the earth wire as a switch live is wrong, but i don't think there's another solution without ripping up all the floor boards....

Irrelevant - you must not do this. It is very unsafe and hazardous.

 

[JohnW2]

Irrelevant - you must not do this. It is very unsafe and hazardous.

Indeed. Use of a bare CPC of T+E cable as a live conductor has never been either safe nor compliant with BS7671.

Until the appearance of Amd2 of BS7671:2018, last year it was permissible in UK (albeit frowned on by many) to over-sleeve a G/Y-insulated conductor in a multicore cable for use as a live conductor, but the Amendment has put a stop to that.