A PENSIONER says the furniture in her York council flat has been ruined by a burst pipe, almost a week after she reported it was frozen but no one took action.

Widow Catherine Pennock, 74, who lives off Gillygate, said she found last Wednesday her water was not running and she phoned City of York Council to report the problem.

She claims she was told it was a matter for Yorkshire Water, and so she phoned the company – only to be told it was a council matter. She could not persuade either organisation to take responsibility and no-one came out to tackle the problem.

She then returned home on Tuesday morning this week after a night away to find water pouring through her ceiling and down her walls after the thaw set in.

“My furniture is ruined, and it will have gone through to the flat below me and the garage below that,” she said.

“I am not going to be able to stay here – my bed is soaked and the carpet is sodden.”

She said a plumber came from the council and fixed the burst on late Tuesday afternoon, but the huge expense and disruption caused by the burst could have been prevented if someone had been willing to come out when she first reported the problems.

Mrs Pennock slept on her daughter’s sofa on Tuesday night and the council was yesterday trying to find her somewhere else to stay. The council’s housing repairs team was sent to Mrs Pennock’s house yesterday to start the clear-up.

Steve Waddington, head of housing and public protection at City of York Council, said the council had received twice as many calls as normally expected at this time of year and staff have been working round the clock with extra and temporary engineers to see to urgent repairs.

He said: “Due to the huge number of calls, this unfortunately means that tenants will not get the usual level of service. However, we are doing everything possible to resume the normal service as fast as we can and in the mean time are offering advice and information over the phone.”

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said the company had offered Mrs Pennock advice on how to deal with frozen pipes when she called, but private water pipes are the responsibility of the landlord, not Yorkshire Water.


Yorkshire Water in plea to customers

YORKSHIRE Water has appealed to customers to use water wisely to help people affected by frozen and burst pipes.

The company said 300 people were working over the Christmas period to fix almost 300 bursts across the region, with many more customer services staff offering advice to homeowners whose internal pipes have frozen.

Warmer temperatures are now putting pressure on the region’s public water supply system. Richard Sears, manager of community engagement, said that customers who still had a water supply could assist the recovery effort by using less water at peak times. He said: “The sheer volume of water being lost through bursts means that it is proving difficult to maintain pressure in the water supply system. The less water people use, particularly at teatime and at breakfast, the quicker the system will recharge and things will return to normal for everyone.”

Yorkshire Water appealed to owners, caretakers and landlords and neighbours of buildings that have been empty over the festive period to check them as soon as possible for bursts and report leaks by phoning 0800 1 24 24 24. Visit yorkshirewater.com for advice about frozen pipes.


Historic Walmgate Bar building hit by pipes burst

IT has survived being bombarded during the Civil War siege of York in 1644, and struck by cars and lorries in the modern age.

But now the half-timbered extension to Walmgate Bar has come under further attack – by a burst pipe in the wake of the Arctic blast.

Mike Laycock, The Press’s chief reporter spotted water pouring from a drainpipe on Tuesday, and water dripping through the floorboards in several places, and contacted City of York Council’s emergency number to inform staff of the suspected burst.

A council spokeswoman said yesterday that the authority was looking into the leak. The building is used as a library and café, run by the Calvary Chapel Bible College, but it is closed for Christmas, but the council said someone from the college had gone in to check what had happened.

Walmgate Bar is the only one in York still with its barbican, portcullis and wooden inner doors, and parts of the building date back to the 12th century.

It came under fierce attack during the Civil War siege, but the most recent damage was caused a couple of years ago when a car hit one of the stone columns supporting the extension, which dates back to 1580.

The council revealed last summer that a major restoration of the bar was being planned after scaffolding was installed to prop up the extension.

Council archaeologist John Oxley said then that the collision had contributed to some cracks in the extension wall which gave cause for concern.


Busy fire crews

FIREFIGHTERS were called to 64 incidents of burst pipes in less than six days over the Christmas period.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue confirmed the busiest period was the evening of December 22, when the service attended 22 properties.

Appliances were sent to five properties on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, seven properties on Boxing Day, 14 properties on Monday 27, and 11 on Tuesday 28.

A spokesman said the majority of calls were received from residents of flats who had realised water was leaking down from higher properties.