Blind WWII Veteran Goes without Gas for Eleven Days

12.56.49pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 17th Nov 2006

Tom Brake MP was outraged to learn last week that his constituent, Mr William Evans, was left without gas for a week and a half. For the first few truly chilly days of November, Mr Evans' home was left freezing cold as British Gas took eleven days before they managed to restore services.

Mr Evans is a blind pensioner who served his country in Italy during the second World War, and marched with his son, also a veteran, in the procession in Whitehall on Sunday. For more than ten days, Mr Evans was without gas or heating, and was forced to rely on his kindly next door neighbour, Mr George Day.

It was Mr Day who attempted to call the twelve different phone numbers with which Mr Evans was provided, and often spent up to 47 minutes on hold per call. Although, after swift action on the part of Tom Brake to attempt to rectify the situation, Mr Evans' gas was restored, Mr Day is expecting a huge phone bill loaded with charges for the numerous lengthy phone calls he had to make to the gas company.

Tom Brake commented, 'The conditions that Mr Evans has had to live with over the course of the past few days are absolutely outrageous and unacceptable. Mr Evans is elderly, registered blind, and an honoured veteran who served his country. He should never have been treated in this way, especially by a company than enjoys such a large market share. It is completely unacceptable that anyone should have to live in these conditions, but even more intolerable given his situation.