A 73-year-old woman who had been too afraid to turn on her heating was left distraught when a bust pipe poured freezing water into her home.
The pensioner, who lives in the Aintree area, had been scared to turn her heating on as temperatures dropped over the last week because of soaring energy costs. But this meant that a water pipe in her home became frozen and then burst.
A shocking video shows water cascading through the ceiling of the elderly woman's house and pouring into her living room. The video shows a soaking carpet and water dangerously flowing out of light fittings.
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The woman's neighbour spoke to the ECHO after she turned up at his house in distress yesterday. The neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "She was in a real panic, she is 73-year-old and widowed and lives on her own and had no one else to turn to.
"I walked into her house and it was like a waterfall of cold water coming through the ceiling and into her back living room. She told me she hadn't put her heating on for over a week because of the costs and so the pipes have frozen and then broken. Obviously we wanted to do what we could to help the situation."
The lady's neighbour contacted Wirral-based plumber Martin Tsang, who runs the A Plumb Job firm. He kindly came to the house and said he would fix the problem for free. As it happened, it transpired she was covered by British Gas who have now carried out the repairs.
However, the house now needs urgent electrical works and Martin and the woman's neighbour are in the process of finding an electrician who can help.
Martin said: "I am seeing situations like this all the time now where people are really struggling in this cold snap. I did 14 jobs yesterday, I am seeing this day after day."
Martin was due to finish for Christmas after today but said he now intends to work for free on Monday to help any other vulnerable people struggling with faulty and cold homes in Merseyside.
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