A COUPLE who dreamed for years of opening their own business say they have been forced to turn away thousands of pounds worth of work because they cannot get an electricity supply.

Four months after applying for power for their new garage in Willington, County Durham, Kevin and Dianne Brown are still waiting to be connected.

They say they have spent hours making hundreds of phone calls in search of the one thing they needed - a simple reference number for the premises in Hutton Terrace, which has been lost by British Gas.

And this week, even after the number turned up, there was more frustration when British Gas said it could be another fortnight before they can install new meters and switch on the supply.

Mr Brown, 38, said: "It is ridiculous. Everything is there. They just need to connect it.

"The past 16 weeks have been a nightmare. We have just been passed from pillar to post by British Gas. Nobody seems to know what anyone else is doing.

"Every time we speak to someone, we have to start from scratch and explain it all again. We have given the information dozens of times. It is very frustrating.

"We feel that nobody in British Gas is interested in us because we are only a small business and they are a big company."

He added: "It is difficult enough to start a company without this sort of problem."

Mr Brown, who will trade as Kev's Autos, first contacted British Gas in January, soon after he bought the garage.

The couple had waited for four years for it to come on to the market and snapped it up as soon as they saw the For Sale sign.

Mr Brown said: "I thought I had everything in place. I did my homework, checked that everything was right, and I thought it would be simple to get started. I couldn't have been more wrong."

A British Gas spokesman said: "If we haven't got back to Mr Brown for 16 weeks, then it is our fault completely.

"The problem was the building was scheduled for demolition and that is why there was no number. However, we should never keep people waiting like this."

Mr Brown has since signed a 12-month contract with British Gas, but hours later, the company called to say he would have to wait at least a further fortnight - five working days to process the number and another week for the meter department to arrive.

He said: "Even after all this, they don't see me as a priority."

Industry watchdog Energy Watch, which tried to help the couple, said the Brown's case was not unusual.

A spokesman said: "It is a chaotic system and why customers are voting with their feet - 1.1 million have left British Gas in the past 12 months. It is a complete nightmare for people. Our complaints figures show that for British Gas customer care is not a priority.