ELDERLY and infirm people at sheltered housing accommodation have waited since Christmas Eve to have damage to their property fixed by the city council. Residents at York House, Bowerham have suffered their privacy being invaded since their fence was blown down during high winds. The roof of the accommodation was also damaged with a number of tiles being blown away.

Elizabeth Davies of York House said people at the house had been scared at the lack of security since the damage was done.

She said: "There's a big field at the back of the house and everybody now uses our place as a short cut. The noise from the youngsters is horrendous.

"We kept complaining to the council since day one and they just kept saying it was going to be sorted out, but it never was."

Her son, Dave Davies, added: "We, tenants and leaseholders, pay maintenance charges, increased rents and council tax for nothing! Is it because it's now so cash strapped paying those doubled expense allowances to the chosen few that it can't or won't fulfil its basic duties any more?"

Since the Citizen contacted the council last week work has begun on repairing the damage which should be completed by next week.

Chris Hannah of the housing department explained that the delay had been partly caused by insurance problems and that the contractor commissioned to work on the house did not have the right materials.

He added: "I think we have got to accept that there has been an unreasonable amount of time of this to be sorted out. We have to apologise for that to those people. The order wasn't looked at at the appropriate time."

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