ELDERLY people suffering from “horrific” conditions inside freezing homes should speak up rather than shiver in silence, says the boss of Age UK Darlington.

Age UK estimated the cold killed one elderly person every seven minutes and this week launched the Cold Homes Week campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

The chief executive of Age UK Darlington, Gillian Peel, said cold homes with poor heating were a huge problem for elderly living in the borough.

She said conditions were particularly dire in some care homes and in houses which elderly owned themselves but could not afford to maintain.

She said: “Some of the conditions are horrific. It’s obvious there’s a problem in Darlington.

“Council accommodation is typically well-maintained. It’s the others who suffer. They put on a brave face and don’t like complaining about it.”

Living in damp, cold conditions had a terrible impact on the health of the elderly, she said.

She added: “Many illnesses can be exacerbated by living in these poor conditions.

“Chest infections get worse. They can be embarrassed to have people back to their homes and the isolation can lead to mental health problems.”

She encouraged those struggling with the cold to get in touch with Age UK Darlington.

“It’s a really big problem and the community needs to prioritise it. We need to support these people,” she said.

“They should speak out about it. If they use our services we can help them.”

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said the council was working with other agencies to make sure both council-owned houses and private accommodation were up to scratch.

This included helping the elderly access funding for free boilers and central heating systems in partnership with Warm Up North.

Last November an inquest found a 91-year-old woman died of severe hypothermia in 2012 because she was neglected inside a cold room at a York care home.

The jury said that Oaklands Country Rest Home in Kirk Hammerton failed to provide Annie Doreen Barritt with adequate warmth and her death was a “direct result” of freezing temperatures inside her room.