Heating engineers quit over mice health and safety scare (From The Northern Echo)

Heating engineers quit over mice health and safety scare

9:50pm Thursday 20th November 2008 in

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A PENSIONER has been left in the cold after engineers refused to work around dead mice - due to health and safety.

Gloria Elliott was waiting for a new heating system to be installed under the Government-funded Warm Front scheme.

When workmen arrived at her home in High Heaton, Newcastle to install three new radiators and a combi boiler they discovered several dead mice and traps lying around the house.

Mrs Elliott, 80, says the workmen refused to carry out the work until the infestation problem was resolved.

She said: ''They were both more than 6ft 2in tall but yet when they went upstairs and discovered poison and traps as a I thought I may have mice, they refused to do anything else until pest control had been round to the house and dealt with the problem as apparently it was a health and safety issue.''

The Warm Front scheme provides grants to vulnerable people to make their homes warmer and more energy efficient.

A Warm Front spokeswoman said: ''Providing the highest level of customer service is extremely important to us, which is why we have investigated this thoroughly.

''We have been in touch with our customer to confirm installation of her heating on December 4 or sooner.

''As you make expect this is a particularly busy time of year. However, we do regret any inconvenience caused.''