Grandmother tells of ‘ruined’ festive season

It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the events the family experienced tell a very different story.

Grandmother-of-two Dawn moved into her new council house, in Griffin Crescent, Lyminster, last month, along with her two children, one of whom suffers from spina bifida.

However, once in the house, she discovered the kitchen, which was being refurbished by an Arun District Council contractor, was incomplete, leaving her and her family without any cooking facilities and heating.

Dawn, 54, said: “Our family’s Christmas was ruined.

“The job the builders did was shocking. The way they fitted the gas bayonet meant that I couldn’t install my own cooker.

“I couldn’t cook any of my frozen food for Christmas lunch. I’m so frustrated and upset at what has happened.”

Dawn added there was also a blockage in the gas pipes, which meant she, along with her 11-year-old son and 19-year-old disabled daughter, were forced to huddle together in one room for warmth.

“It’s been an absolute nightmare,” she said. “My daughter has been traumatised. She is now living in Northampton with her sister until we can get things fixed here.”

Dawn claimed she had tried to contact both the council and its reactive repairs contractor, Robert Heath Heating, but with little success. She said: “They both kept passing me back and forward. They just didn’t want to know.”

But a spokeswoman from the council said it was Dawn’s responsibility to ensure any new cooker should fit the kitchen correctly and it was not the council or contractor’s responsibility.

She said: “After moving into the property, Mrs Diplock privately purchased a gas cooker with different fittings to those that were left by the old appliance. Engineers were apparently unable to fit the new appliance because of the work needed to adjust the fittings.”

The spokeswoman added Dawn had tried to contact the council twice requesting the authority to carry out the necessary alteration works. After contacting the council again on Friday, its contractors, as a gesture of goodwill, did alter the bayonet connection and install the new cooker without charge.