An elderly Utley couple are frustrated by persistent problems with a boiler at their council accommodation.

Hornby, known as Bob, and Shirley Howarth have been having problems with the boiler since they moved to the flat at St John's Court three years ago.

The boiler began to break down almost immediately they moved in and has not been right since.

Mrs Howarth says: "We have had to call six engineers in this last year alone and each time we are told the boiler will need a new part. But it never gets fixed, they put a part in and it breaks again or they come without the part and don't seem to know what they are doing."

Mrs Howarth, 64, a retired home carer, and her husband, 78, a retired butcher, are annoyed by the fact that the problem is still going on.

She says: "They had to come out again last Friday after the boiler broke on Tuesday.

"We had to spend all that time without hot water. We had to boil it every time we used any. We've heard all sorts of excuses but my husband's not so steady on his legs and suppose he fell with the boiling water and hurt himself."

She adds: "We're just absolutely sick of it, my husband has a hernia and asthma and I've had strokes in the past, we don't need this stress at our age.

"It's disgusting. We don't want to cause trouble at the council, we pay our rent and we don't harm anyone -- we just want to get a drop of hot water on tap."

The couple have been so upset by the continuing problems, including faulty radiators, two leaks in the bathroom and a badly twisted door, that they have asked to be relocated.

A council housing spokesman said: "We regret the inconvenience caused to the tenants by the multiple repairs.

"We will talk to our contractors to assess the reasons for these problems and attempt to reach a speedy conclusion."