A couple with two toddlers and expecting their third child were rushed to hospital by ambulance for suspected gas poisoning in their tower block home in London’s East End.

East London Advertiser: Joe Mordey and his children with dodgy boiler and cookerJoe Mordey and his children with dodgy boiler and cooker (Image: Archant)

Joe Mordley and his 28-old pregnant wife Natasha had just had their annual gas boiler serviced—but felt ill from fumes.

Their two family pet parrots suddenly died within two days before National Grid had to cut off the gas supply to their eighth-floor home near Victoria Park at Waverton House in Jodrell Road, Old Ford.

Now Joe, a qualified plumber, has written to Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs complaining that the “service provided by Old Ford Housing is unacceptable as people’s lives are at risk.”

A boiler cover board was left off and a washer appeared to be missing from the cooker following the servicing, National Grid found.

Gas fumes had been coming back into the flat because the flue pipe is too close to the ventilation pipe without the board cover, Mr Mordley believes.

“We had headaches, sickness and sore throats,” he told the East London Advertiser. “Fumes going out of the boiler were coming straight back in our property.”

The family, who arrived home last week with newborn Holly, spent a chilly festive season without heat or hot water, along with their other children Lillie, aged two, and Masey, six.

National Grid had advised them to call NHS to explain the situation after shutting off the gas.

Two ambulances were sent to Waverton House and the family was taken to hospital to be monitored and to have blood samples taken.

“We were advised about possible carbon monoxide poisoning,” Mr Mordley explained.

“We came home one day and the minute we opened our front door we were hit with the smell of gas.”

A washer had been left off the gas-cooker and gas was leaking out for four days, they found.

“We had all been ill since the boiler was serviced,” Mr Mordley revealed. “We ended up having the baby three weeks early due to stress.”

A gas engineer later arrived from the contractors to get the boiler running again and the property was later declared safe.

National Grid confirmed it was called to the flat twice and had to disconnect the gas “for safety reasons”.

Old Ford Housing’s regional contracts manager Neville Parboo said: “Appliances are shut off for safety if a fault is detected on inspection. We carried out full tests over the festive period, which confirmed the home is safe.

“We are visiting the property again to reassure the family.”

A baking tray had fallen into the back of the cooker and was covering the burner, which the housing association claimed was “likely to have been the cause”.

Householders smelling gas in their home are being advised by National Grid to call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800-111999.