SCORES of elderly and disabled people have been left without vital carbon monoxide detectors for their homes after a council ran out.

The Northern Echo has learnt that some residents in homes belonging to Durham City Council have been waiting weeks for faulty devices to be replaced.

The city council has placed a bulk order, but claims suppliers are having trouble sourcing them from the manufacturers in China.

However, gas safety watchdog Corgi said it is unaware of any shortages and neighbouring councils have reported no problems buying detectors.

The city council has been accused of failing to get a grip on the situation by councillors and the city MP.

The detectors, fitted as standard in warden-controlled homes and other similar council-owned properties, emit a noise if it detects killer carbon monoxide escaping from gas boilers and fires.

Tom Carr, 90, who is registered blind, and his wife, Betty, of Meadowfield, Durham, have been waiting for a new detector since reporting a fault at the end of May.

Daughter-in-law Alma Carr, from Brandon, County Durham, said: "There may well be lots of other older people in the same position."

Mrs Carr said that on one occasion the council called and told the couple to open all their doors and windows, fearing an apparent leak.

Councillor Paul Taylor said: "I have had lots of calls on this. I was flabbergasted to be told that there were no detectors in stock and they had been on order for some time.

"I find such mismanagement totally unacceptable."

Fellow councillor Bill Kellett said he understood that there were at least a hundred tenants in a similar situation.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods demanded that the city council explains how it did not have spare detectors.

Twelve years ago student, Anne Brennan, from Houghton-le-Spring, who was living in Durham City, died from carbon monoxide poisoning from an unmaintained boiler.

Her death prompted The Northern Echo to launch its Silent Killer campaign, which aims to ensure heating appliances are properly maintained, while urging the use of carbon monoxide detectors.

Councillor Fraser Reynolds, leader of Durham City Council, said existing detectors had not lasted as long as intended.

"We are waiting for some new stock, but they are coming from China and there is a national shortage of them, it's not just in Durham," he said.

"We want to deal with this and get it right as soon as possible. It is just unfortunate, but we are on top of it."

In June, a Corgi report revealed that between January last year and April this year there were ten deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the North-East and Yorkshire and 45 injuries.

Last night, a Corgi spokeswoman said: "There is no national shortage of these items that we are aware of and there are a number of retailers who have got plenty of stock."