Engineers are to carry out safety checks on council properties in a York road after a gas fire flue was found to be sub-standard.

Ellen Brigham's fire in the sitting room of her home in Spurr Court, Foxwood, was disconnected when a repairman called to service the fire and discovered an unsatisfactory flue at the back.

She was issued with a safety notice telling her that the back box of the flue was not sealed and, for her own safety, the fire should not be used.

She feared that the flue, behind a gas fire which she had had fitted privately, could have allowed fumes to escape into her home in Spurr Court.

And she wanted other residents to be aware of the potential safety problems.

City of York Council assistant director of housing, John Hocking, said the "letter-box" -style flue was not illegal or dangerous, but fell below the standards currently laid down by the council.

Now, as a precautionary measure, checks would be carried out on other properties in Spurr Court which had the same sort of fire and flue fitted.

Julie Grimes, a neighbour of Ellen Brigham, thought hers would be one of the other properties with such a flue, and feared she might have been at risk.

"I think it's disgusting," she said.

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