A 77-YEAR-OLD woman is locked in a dispute with housing authorities over a coal fire which they say has become unsafe.

Dorothy Brown has lived at her home in Westland Avenue, Farnworth, since 1973, and has used her fire since it was installed as part of a council scheme a number of years ago.

However, current landlords Bolton at Home have since sent letters to tell her the heating system is unsafe and have asked her to have it removed.

Mrs Brown initially refused to remove the fire but, after being taken to court by the housing association, has since stopped using it. She has been offered gas central heating but says she struggles to breathe in homes with similar systems because of a respiratory condition and does not think it would be appropriate.

It is possible to bring her fire up to safety standards but Mrs Brown says the cost could be as high as £3,000.

"If I keep it and don't get it repaired than they say it's unsafe to use," she said.

"But, I can't stay in a house with gas fires or central heating for more than a few minutes."

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Kearsley councillor Julie Pattison has been trying to get Bolton at Home to review Mrs Brown's case.

She said: "The expert reports commissioned by Bolton at Home suggest that there are no significant problems.

"I believe that they simply want gas central heating in all houses and will do anything to this end."

Fellow councillor Paul Heslop added: "I believe that Bolton at Home is more interested in corporate expansion rather than its elderly tenants."

"I am convinced that assurances made at that time have been broken and many people feel that they were conned."

He went on to say: "I recently attended a presentation by senior executives where one of them talked about their corporate structure, expansion plans into Cheshire and Liverpool, and that they had set up a subsidiary company to avoid tax; it was twenty minutes into the presentation before they actually mentioned tenants."

Responding to the complaints, Gemma Parlby, director of housing services for Bolton at Home, says the housing body is looking concerned about Mrs Brown's wellbeing.

She said: "We understand Mrs Brown’s preference is to heat her home using coal-burning appliances, but her safety is our priority.

“Following inspection, two appliances were found to be unsafe and posed an immediate risk to health and safety, not just to Mrs Brown and her family, but also to neighbours and visitors. This left us with no choice but to remove the appliances to avoid the risk of fires or carbon monoxide escape. We appreciate that this process has caused Mrs Brown concern, but we have a legal duty to protect her and the wider public by making the property safe."

Ms Parlby claims Bolton at Home are working with Mrs Brown to have central heating installed although she maintains that a gas system would not work.