AN ELDERLY couple say their health has been affected as they have had to suffer a leak at their housing association home for almost a year.

The leak in John and Shirley Pearce’s upstairs bedroom of their home in Wise Avenue, Kidlington, has left the wall damp and mouldy.

But despite numerous phone calls by Mrs Pearce, 77, to Sanctuary Housing, it has not been fixed for 11 months.

Mr Pearce, 83, said the damp was affecting both his and his wife’s health and the problem was putting a huge strain on them. Mrs Pearce, 77, has had a triple heart bypass and Mr Pearce suffers from arthritis.

The great-grandparents, who have been married for 56 years, have lived in the house for 52 years and Mr Pearce said they have always looked after it.

He said: “We have always kept it in good condition but now that we need them to help us out we are just being ignored.

“They keep saying they will come round when the weather is dry but considering what it is like now, who knows when that will be. We don’t have a problem is when the weather is dry, the water doesn’t come through then.”

Mr Pearce, who worked in the building industry for 52 years, said he believes the water is coming through the guttering, which Sanctuary Housing said it had fixed after a similar problem two years ago.

He said: “We are just getting nowhere with them and it is really upsetting us.

“We have tried to dry it out by having the central heating on but I don’t think that is particularly good for us either.”

Sanctuary Housing spokeswoman Amy Weiser said: “It took longer than we would have liked to identify the cause of damp in Mr and Mrs Pearce’s home, however the initial stage of repairs to the guttering and roof are now complete.

“Unfortunately the inclement weather has delayed work to seal the home and resolve the issue fully.

“We are very sorry for the delay and are working as quickly as possible to finish the repairs.”