A young Dundee family were forced to run from their tenement flat after their gas boiler threatened to ”blow up”.
Stuart Quinn (26) and his partner Jade Parker (22), who live in St Mary’s with their six-year-old daughter Chloe, say they had to grab their daughter and ”run for it” after the boiler started to make ”crackling noises”.
The couple say they have had to endure several breakdowns with the system over the past couple of years, and as a result their house has been affected by mould.
Carpets and furniture have had to be thrown out and the family have been forced to spend time away with relatives.
Stuart said: ”I’ve asked to get the boiler replaced, but every time they just come out and replace the odd washer and drain the water and then say ‘that’s it fixed then’.
”It works for a wee while, but we know they’ll be back in a couple of weeks when it breaks down again. It only lasts for a wee while.
”It’s been going on for ages now. It went last Friday at about 11 o’clock at night. I was running the bath and the boiler started making this sparking, crackly noise and we had to run from the house. I thought it was going to blow up or burst into flames.
”I turned off the gas and when I phoned the council the guy said he couldn’t help, there was nobody there and he didn’t have any numbers to give me, he was only the security guy. I said we were terrified, we’ve got a young daughter, but he said there was nothing he could do.
”All we want is to be able to stay in our home and be warm, but we never get any luck with the council. I’ve spoken to our local councillor and he got in touch with the housing department.”
Stuart’s mum Eunice said she was concerned for the young family as the pressure in the boiler keeps falling to dangerous levels and they have to switch it off.
”It’s obviously faulty. When they came out to fix it once it nearly blew the system up and one of the radiators in the living room has been left all buckled. It’s not been able to be used since then.
”It’s not a money situation they’re not looking for compensation or anything. We just want them to have a warm house for them and my granddaughter.”
Ward councillor Ian Borthwick confirmed he had taken up the family’s case with the housing department and had received confirmation that a number of reports had been received about the heating system but that had now been addressed.
”The officer added that reports of dampness had been raised with them by the family in July and November and I wrote to them on November 25 and was told the matter was being looked into, but when I enquired yesterday I was told they couldn’t find my correspondence.
”I contacted them again in January about the damp situation and have again been in touch after the latest incident was relayed to me. I have been assured the matter is being addressed and hopefully it should be sorted out finally for the family.”
A spokesman for the city council said: ”We have instructed the gas engineers to check the system and emergency repairs are responded to within 24 hours.”