ON Boxing Day, our central heating broke down and, despite ringing around, only British Gas was willing to come out. So full marks to them, but where is the Christian charity - at Christmas of all times. You would have thought the others would have made an effort, as my mother is 88 and vulnerable.

She had to sit in front of the gas fire until help came as the rest of the house was like an ice box. The others had the cheek to say they had a 24-hour call-out whereas British gas is available 365 days in the year.

Thank goodness someone isn't obsessed with holidays. Why should everything grind to a halt at holiday times? Why can't they all have a rota? No wonder we're a fourth-rate country. We'll never be able to compete in the world markets with this antiquated outlook.

It's no wonder old folk die of hypothermia every winter is it?

BRIAN WATSON, Rosehill Road, Burnley.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.