A WINCHESTER man with autism has been living through the coldest months of the year without central heating or hot water.

Peter Coles, 47, of The Atrium in Staple Gardens, turned off his boiler on December 11 after he was told the nearby Nightshelter had a gas leak.

More than two months later, he is still unable to turn it back on.

His mother Daphne Frampton told the Chronicle how she has struggled to get any help from A2Dominion, the housing association responsible for her son’s property.

She said: “Peter came home to a note saying the Nightshelter had a gas leak and that people were going to the metre. He turned off his boiler like the note asked but after a week, nothing had happened – no one had told him he could turn it back on and he hadn’t seen anyone go to the metre.

“I’ve spent hours on the phone asking when this is going to be sorted. Every time the housing association put me through to a company called TSG who are apparently their contractors – but then TSG put me back onto the housing association.

“I’m really, really cross and this has cost Peter more than £100 in extra bills to heat the place with an electric heater. He cycles a lot and can’t even dry his clothes, either. He needs compensating.”

Daphne added that she made calls on December 20, January 9 and January 23, but was told the work could not be completed at that time with different reasons for each occasion.

She said that, “after being let down several times”, the work was completed by TSG on February 3 – but Peter was still unable to turn on his boiler because its pump had flooded.

Now, Peter says if he runs hot water or flicks on the heating, he risks a leak trickling into the electrics around his kitchen.

David Lingeman, director of property services at A2Dominion, said: “We appreciate any loss of function in a property’s boiler in frustrating, especially at winter, and we are sorry that Mr Coles doesn’t feel we acted quickly enough on this occasion.

“While the original fault was out of our control, we endeavour to address all issues in our properties in a timely manner.

“We will continue to work with Mr Coles if any other maintenance issues arise.”