AN ELDERLY couple have endured sleepless nights for the last fortnight while a water leak in their flat goes unfixed.

Barry and Dawn Crimmins, of Gardner Close in Wanstead, have had water pouring into their basement flat since around November 2, meaning they face a constant struggle to prevent the water causing further damage to their home.

The pair, both 69, suffer from high blood pressure and Mr Crimmins recently underwent major heart surgery. So far the water has damaged their kitchen, bathroom and living room, and they will have to replace tiles, wooden flooring and furniture once the leak is fixed.

Workmen visited the flat earlier this month to stop the problem, but after fixing one leak another was discovered and the contractors returned today (November 17) to try to sort out the problem.

This is not the first time faulty pipes have caused problems for the couple. In December last year the Guardian reported that a drain outside their flat had become blocked three times in as many months, causing the nearby garage area to flood with ten inches of foul-smelling water.

Their son Perry Crimmins, 50, has been acting on their behalf in trying to get Redbridge Homes to fix the leak and establish why the work has taken so long.

Mr Crimmins said: “We had surveyors come out and they said that the leak was so bad that my parents would have to move out, but of course that's not practical because someone has to empty the buckets.

“We hoped that it would be dealt with as a matter of emergency but it seems not.

“Both my parents are 69 and not in the best of health. My Dad recently had a four-way heart bypass, so the last thing they need is to keep having to get up in the night to empty buckets of water.

“Redbridge Homes is not fit for purpose. I've asked them a list of questions and so far they have gone unanswered. Their silence is deafening.”

Mr Crimmins said he was due to meet an senior officer from Redbridge Homes today to show him the problem in person, but the meeting was cancelled at short notice and no-one from the management company contacted him to tell him.

A Redbridge Homes spokesman said: “A leak at the property was first reported on November 8 and our contractors carried out repair works on November 11.

“Unfortunately, a more serious leak occurred on November 14 and we have been unable to identify the source of the leak.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused to the residents and have begun a review of the case to find out what has happened.

“Damage will be rectified once the leak has been fixed and the property has dried out.”