An investigation has been started by Bradford Council into why one of its tenants was forced to live with a smashed front window for a month.

Jackie Shiraishi, 54, said she ended up "living like a mole" and was forced to put heating and lighting on at all times of the day to keep herself warm at her home in Parkstone Drive, Eccleshill.

Vandals threw a stone which smashed her window on November 8 and the next day Mrs Shiraishi reported the incident to the Thorpe Edge housing office.

The window was boarded up and Mrs Shiraishi, who lives with her teenage daughter, was promised it would be repaired within three days.

Despite six phone calls over the following month nothing happened but when the Telegraph & Argus contacted the Council about it, the Council apologised to Mrs Shiraishi and pledged to carry out the repair immediately.

A Bradford Council housing spokesman said: "The repair should have been completed within three days.

"Unfortunately this didn't happen and we acknowledge that Mrs Shiraishi should not have waited so long.

"We are now looking into the reasons for this unacceptable delay. We will be writing to Mrs Shiraishi with a full explanation."

Mrs Shiraishi said at one point, in desperation,, she had even offered to have the glass put in by another company and send the Council the bill afterwards.

She said: "The manager at the housing office said if I did, they'd send it straight back and make me pay it.

"I'm very angry with the Council because I've had my gas fire on earlier and higher every morning and night because of the cold that came in through gaps in the boards.

"I've been living like a mole and have had to switch my lights on when it was still light outside because the boards made it so dark."

She added: "I don't suppose the Council is going to pay my heating and electric bills are they?"

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