A WOMAN today hit out at housing chiefs, claiming they had left her kitchen so dilapidated that bits of her ceiling were falling into her food.

Joanne Evans, of Northfields, Strensall, near York, said she had been waiting more than a year for her kitchen to be replaced by Ryedale Housing Association.

She said a boiler in her upstairs bathroom burst in September, 2005, leading to leaks into her kitchen and leaving a hole in her ceiling.

The boiler was replaced but, 13 months on, she is still waiting for the housing association to carry out vital work in the kitchen.

She told The Press debris from the hole in the ceiling often fell into her cooking; cupboards had been left damaged; and a damp patch in the ceiling had almost spread to electric wires.

Ms Evans said her problems began after the boiler burst while she was on holiday in Spain last year.

She said: "They put a new one in, but it made a hole in my ceiling over the cooker and they just left it. Also, all the sides of the cupboards are damaged.

"I have had things flaking off the ceiling into my cooking. Ryedale Housing Association said I could have a new kitchen, but did not say when and it has got worse and worse.

"Every time I phone, the person I need to speak to is never in the office. I wrote five or six weeks ago, but have had no reply."

Ms Evans, 37, said some of her neighbours had since had their kitchens replaced, despite her waiting longer.

She added: "I'm very angry about it. They have done nothing. They promised me. My kitchen is rotten. I would like to decorate it, but what's the point until they replace it?"

Ian Rich, area manager of Ryedale Housing Association, said: "We have identified a number of properties in need of an upgrade and are currently surveying those requiring a new kitchen.

"Unfortunately, work of this scale can take some time, but we are doing our best to complete the work as quickly as possible. We will be in contact with Ms Evans shortly."