I HAVE written this letter as a timely warning to the elderly people in our area who rely on alarms to alert family or friends should they be in trouble in their own homes.

My 82-year-old mother has had a Wyre Forest Piper telephone alarm for many years but when it was required to summon help for her following a fall at her home on Christmas Eve, the equipment failed and she was forced to remain on the floor of her home from lunchtime on Christmas Eve to noon on Christmas Day when I called to collect her for Christmas lunch.

It would appear that the battery in the personal alarm, which she wore around her neck, was flat. On checking the alarm it seemed to me that the screws in this device have never been removed during the whole time she has had the equipment.

No-one from the control centre has ever requested me to check the equipment or batteries, and I strongly believe that the onus should be on those supplying this equipment to make sure it is tested.

Apparently, according to their records, the last time a check was made was September.

Fortunately, on this occasion, my mother has suffered no great harm, even though she had a mild stroke. But she had left the electric cooker ring full on and obviously there was a danger of fire.

Although it was cold, her heating was set to run for 24 hours.

The reason I am writing is so that no-one else suffers a similar distressing situation, or an even worse one.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED