An 84 year old woman was left without heating, lights or hot water on Christmas Day in her warden-controlled bungalow.

Cambs Times: Lily Pawliszok, 84, from Gimbert close March, left without electric and heat.Picture: Steve Williams.Lily Pawliszok, 84, from Gimbert close March, left without electric and heat.Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

She only had it fixed thanks to a local handyman who agreed to drive from Chatteris to March on Christmas Day to help her out.

Lily Pawliszok said she called the warden at least three times asking for help when she switched her cooker on and it tripped the electrics.

By 3pn, when she feared nobody was coming to help her at her Roddons property at Gimbert Square in March, her home help called handyman Jack Constable from Chatteris, who came over immediately to ensure she could have her Christmas dinner in a warm house.

Mrs Pawliszok said: “Nobody came from Roddons until December 29, so if it hadn’t been for my handyman I would have been lost.

“Thankfully I have my home help as I have no family alive anymore and nobody to call on. I pulled the cord for the warden to help but she kept saying somebody was coming, but nobody did until the end of the month.”

Mrs Pawliszok said she also had a problem with mice at the property which terrified her and which she had been waiting for months to see if they would fumigate the house rather than keep laying traps which were not efficient.

Her home help Linda Tyrell said : “I don’t know what she would have done if it wasn’t for Mr Constable.”

Anne Brighton, managing director of Circle Housing Roddons, said: “We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused and appreciate Mrs Pawliszok’s frustration.

“We are currently investigating why there has been a breakdown in communication and are working hard to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

“I understand that pest control has attended the property and to date has found no evidence of pests. We are continuing to monitor the situation.”