Man’s‘ ice box’ gets set to be thawed

A GUARDBRIDGE man left living in an “ice box” for two weeks has hailed The Courier for firing Fife Council into action.

Angry Alan Smart blasted the local authority for failing to take action when his attic water tank burst on Friday October 11.

The ceiling collapsed in his Toll Road home, leaving him with a gaping hole in his roof and no hot water or heating.

Only after The Courier highlighted the issue in Tuesday’s edition did the ball start rolling on work at his home.

Mr Smart said: “The Courier was on the ball and I can’t thank them enough.The council never phoned me on Monday when they said they were going to in order to give me a brief about the tank.

“I think The Courier shook them up a bit as everybody and anybody was on the phone on Tuesday.

“I couldn’t believe it. My house was like Piccadily Circus. I have been told they will be here on Monday morning.”

Fife Council a re a housing and neighbourhood team leader for North East Fife, Colin Gilbert, said: “When this was reported we realised there would be a slight delay.

“We gave Mr Smart the oppor tunity to move to temporary accommodation, which would be furnished but he turned it down.

“We offered him electric fires but he turned them down as he couldn’t afford to heat them.

“We told him that he could claim the money back but he did not wish to do that.

“His house is on the list to get new central heating.

“We have accelerated this process so that he will get fitted with central heating next week. It could be any time within the next three weeks but we expect it to be within one week.

“Mr Smart said he was happy to make his own arrangements in the meantime and is prepared to tolerate this situation until he gets new central heating next week.”