AS freezing temperatures and unseasonal snow blanketed the county one Worcester family were forced to live without heating or hot water.

The Crane family suffered for nearly seven weeks in the cold and through the coldest March since 1962 after their damaged boiler was disconnected.

And it was only after a call to your Worcester News they were once again able to turn up the heat. The problems began for the family, of Barnes Way, St Peter’s, Worcester, in February when they contacted their suppliers, British Gas, to discuss having a new boiler installed as part of scheme and mentioned a carbon monoxide alarm in their home was going off.

Mum of 10-year-old twins Kia-Marie and Bobbie-Louise Saunders, Tracie Crane, aged 42, said: “British Gas then sent National Grid out to check the boiler and they cut it off because it was not safe.

”It is not right, it’s disgusting when you have got young children and the weather has been so cold.”

In March temperatures in the county dipped to around -4C and March was the fourth coldest on record.

The family bought extra heaters and lit their coal fire to keep warm while the heating was out but because of the freezing conditions this still wasn’t enough.

Miss Crane said: “I had ice on the inside of the windows in the morning. With the heating it was still too cold and the girls had to sleep together in bed in their dressing gowns and socks to keep warm. Me and my partner had to wear socks and dressing gowns in bed as well.”

With no heat or hot water Miss Crane continued to contact British Gas about the Affordable Warmth scheme, which she was eligible for but was unable to get a response.

Speaking before the issue was resolved she said: “I am banging my head on the wall. British Gas are saying they don’t know what I am talking about. I have been going around in circles. It’s been well over a month in frozen temperatures. It is getting damp in the rooms.”

But days after being contacted by your Worcester News British Gas visited Mrs Crane and installed a new boiler and it was at this time they discovered just how dangerous the old boiler had been.

“I would like to thank the paper, if it wasn’t for the Worcester News contacting them we could still be without heating.”

British Gas apologised to the family and said they would be discussing a good will gesture with Miss Crane.

Lucy Coyle of British Gas said: “I’m sorry we did not get back to Mrs Crane after she had called us about her faulty boiler and she had problems being connected to the right department. We have apologised to Mrs Crane and our engineer repaired MRs Crane’s boiler. We are looking into what went wrong in this case to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”