A couple living in a damp Bradford Council house claim they have been waiting five years for rotten windows to be replaced.

Frank and Ivy Spencer, who are both disabled and suffer from angina, say they have been told there is no cash available for the improvements to their home.

And Mrs Spencer, 69, says they have dipped into their own pockets to enable repaires to be carried out - including fitting new external doors - because the Council did not have the cash.

She said the Council had tried to treat some damp in the house but she has had to buy heaters in an effort to beat the problem.

"I draw the line at paying for new windows," she said. "I was going to take the Council to court but then they came and put some in.

"But I am still waiting for the back bedroom and three small ones and it says it hasn't got the money."

She and her 75-year-old husband, who sufferers from a bone disease, were hoping to have some rooms redecorated but are now having to wait until after the remaining replacements have been installed.

Councillor Ken Baxter (Lab, Idle) said he had taken up the couple's problem with the housing department. He said: "I have been told there is no money available to do the work. I am very unhappy about the whole maintenance scheme on the estate.

"The amount of money spent on vandalism should be going on these repairs and maintenance."

A Council spokesman said: "We have told them that the remaining frames will be replaced in the next programme of work.

"We understand the condensation problem has been solved, but we are more than happy to send an officer round to check the situation again.

"Unfortunately vandalism is a problem in many areas across the district and if Council property is damaged, we have a responsibility to repair it.

"We would obviously prefer to spend all the available budget on maintenance and work programmes and we would urge anyone who sees property being vandalised to contact their local housing office or the police."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.