Flood chaos hits plan for conservatory to aid Barrow leukaemia sufferer
Last updated at 16:14, Sunday, 14 October 2012
A BURST water pipe has caused misery for a couple in Barrow after they realised their home insurance would not cover the damage.
The pipe runs under the gardens of four houses in Reynolds Place, off Romney Road, and has now burst in three properties.
Stephen Martin, 52, discovered the problem on Tuesday when water began flowing from a neighbouring property into his back garden.
The following day the same pipe burst in Mr Martin’s garden, flooding a series of trenches where foundations are set to be laid for a new conservatory. The water was switched off at around noon while plumbers fixed the leak.
The leaks are suspected to have been caused by corrosion. Mr Martin said: “I read my insurance policy and it said I wasn’t covered for communal water pipes. I didn’t realise that and it’s very frustrating, I have had to pay out £260 to get it fixed.”
Mr Martin’s partner, Jan Mallinson, 49, suffers from leukaemia and he says they hoped the conservatory would make it easier for Miss Mallinson to get into the garden.
A former labourer, Mr Martin has had to give up work to care for Miss Mallinson , who has had three bone marrow transplants in her battle with the disease.
He said: “It’s not a luxury thing, it’s to help Jan. We have saved up for years for that conservatory and this has hit my budget hard. I don’t know if I will be able pay to have it finished because I don’t know whether the pipe might burst again. Jan is very stressed.”
On Thursday the pipe burst again and Mr Martin had to switch the water off at 8am.
“The lady next door has a new baby and the man on the other side has a disabled son so it’s not good. They are getting frustrated with me and I can understand that,” he said.
Adeola Ajayi, spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers, said: “Home insurance usually covers accidental damage to underground water pipes but it doesn’t usually cover wear and tear. There is additional insurance you can buy and water companies can offer insurance as well.”
Mr Martin advises people to check their policies.
First published at 13:07, Sunday, 14 October 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
I read about Jan Mallinson having leukaemia. There should be more information given out on the causes of such diseases. Researcher Edward Priestley contracted severe aplastic anaemia (bone marrow destruction) from workplace toxic chemicals & doctors didnât think he would survive - but decades later his blood count is normal. He found the causes of leukaemia & many blood diseases include toxic chemicals, radiation & certain medical drugs. Benzene is a proven cause of leukaemia & yet is widely used by industry. By avoiding chemical causes he survived and helps others. He has no âmagic bulletâ cure â just natural common-sense information to give the body the best chance. Visit: www.medicineandillness.com
The EU now admit that many chemicals were allowed into common use without proper safety testing to see if they cause cancer. Preventing the disease in the first place would save so much suffering. I hope that she can recover.
Posted by Ann on 14 October 2012 at 17:32