A MOTHER and her child were left “absolutely freezing” over the weekend after a tree smashed through a flat window.
Yesterday, housing association Accent apologised to Charlotte Penn, 27, who said she felt let down by the slow response to her plight.
Ms Penn, who lives in Shirley Manor Gardens, Wyke, with her seven-year-old son Kaye, said: “It all happened suddenly and the tree flew straight through and it damaged the window frame as well.”
Ms Penn’s mother, Susan Penn, said the glass from the window came through into the living room. She added: “It’s a good job my grandson wasn’t on his Xbox, because his chair is sat by the window where the tree came in.”
After the incident at about 9pm on Friday, Ms Penn said she rang Accent, but was passed “from pillar to post.”
She said she was in contact with Accent across the weekend with no solution arranged and, at one point, there was even a suggestion it might be Bradford Council’s responsibility, which added further confusion.
She said: “I think it’s beyond a joke. It happened on Friday and it was just left with no window. They didn’t come out, and I had to board it up.”
She said it wasn’t until yesterday morning that someone came round to sort the situation.
A spokesperson for Accent said: “We are sorry to hear about the tree coming through Ms Penn’s window during the recent bad weather. Our surveyor and contractor have visited her home to assess the damage, and our contractors have boarded up the broken window and measured up for replacement glass.
“Unfortunately, we do not have replacement glass in stock as such, and it may be a few days before it can be replaced.
“Our tree surgeons have also visited Shirley Manor Gardens and moved the tree away from the building. We know it did not cause any structural damage when it fell, and we have made arrangements to remove it as soon as possible. We can understand why Ms Penn felt frustrated by the response she received when she reported the problem and we apologise for that. We will make sure we keep in touch with her with updates about the removal of the tree and a replacement date for the glass in her window.”
A council spokesperson said: “According to our records, the land is not owned by the Council. Any trees on it would be the responsibility of the owner or the management company who look after the flats and grounds.”
Ms Penn thanked Accent for resolving the issue, but said it took too long for them to sort it.
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