A ROUTINE annual visit by the gas man has left poor Dennis Driscoll without hot water or heating for nearly three weeks—during the coldest winter for 18 years. The 55-year-old market porter had his central heating switched off at his council flat in East London after an engineering inspector discovered a faulty flue pipe

By April Welsh

A ROUTINE annual visit by the gas man has left poor Dennis Driscoll without hot water or heating for nearly three weeks during the coldest winter for 18 years.

The 55-year-old market porter had his central heating switched off at his council flat in East London after an engineering inspector discovered a faulty flue pipe.

He was promised temporary heaters while his boiler was off.

But the heaters never arrived at the flat in Harpley Square, Stepney Green.

He has been unable to wash or clean his clothes properly for three weeks.

But Tower Hamlets Homes, the housing arm of the town hall, didn’t realise Dennis had been without heating for so long.

“We arranged for the contractors to go to Mr Driscoll’s home to carry out the repair,” their spokesman said. “But both times the contractors were unable to get inside.

“We don’t underestimate how stressful it is to be without heating over the last couple of weeks.”

Now they’ve promised to get the engineers round again to fix Dennis’s heating.