Pensioners Florence and Donald Drake have had to sit huddled around a Calor gas fire - windows open to let out the fumes - because their new gas fire failed to work properly for five weeks.

Repeated calls to the British Gas energy centre in Keighley failed to get a spark of response as their bill to keep warm built up.

Florence, 69, and Donald, 74, have no central heating in their Broomhill Mount home - bought from Bradford council.

She said: "I feel absolutely sickened. We have been trying to keep warm with only a Calor gas heater, but we must keep the window open to let the fumes out. It is costing us a fortune.

"It is getting cold now and Christmas is nearly on us. We want to have the family over - how can we face Christmas like this?"

The couple bought the fire in January from the energy centre, paying £519. It was a "buy now, pay in six months" deal and in July they settled the bill in full.

But by September the fire was faulty. Mrs Drake said: "It kept going out. It would burn for so long, then go pop and go off."

She called into the energy centre to tell them off the fault - five weeks ago - and was told someone would arrive to look at the fire within 24 hours.

When nobody arrived, she got in contact again, was told her name was on the computer and someone would be there in 24 hours. Nobody turned up.

Mrs Drake said: "Whenever I telephoned, the line was busy so I eventually telephoned the head office and I was told someone would definitely call on us. I made my last call on Monday - still nobody has arrived."

A British Gas spokesman said: "We are very disappointed in the breakdown of communication and we are looking into what happened." She said the company would be contacting Mr and Mrs Drake and the problem would be sorted out today.

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