Leyton man with frostbite unhappy with...

A DISABLED man who developed frostbite in his freezing home says a government scheme to provide heating for the vulnerable has failed him.

Michael Clements, of Warren Road, in Leyton, says parts of his house have been just above zero temperature at times, after repeated efforts to get storage heaters repaired by government contractors over the last 18 months failed.

Following a particularly harsh winter, the 68-year-old, who has debilitating arthritis, now has frostbite in his finger and is demanding to know why the Warm Front scheme has failed him.

The scheme was set up to ensure pensioners have adequate heating in their homes.

The father-of-three said he complained to Eaga, which has a contract with the government worth £800million over three years, and sub-contractor Dimplex, who supplied and fitted the heaters.

He said one of two broken heaters was repaired but stopped working again weeks later and he has had no response from either companies since.

In the meantime, he has been using a third heater in his bedroom and two electric heaters he bought himself, which have increased his electricity bill enormously.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change said an annual report into the Warm Front scheme published at the end of last year showed that nine out of ten customers were happy with the service.