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Champ gets switched on to cooker safety issues
Chorley mum Evelyn Hartley feared for her safety when she couldn't reach a fire emergency switch connected to her cooker.
The mum-of-two didn't need to use the switch until recently when housing firm Places for People replaced the gas cooker with an electric one.
Mrs Hartley, of Great Meadow, Astley Village, is undergoing treatment for spine problems at Royal Preston Hospital and needs to use her walking stick to reach the switch near the kitchen ceiling.
Her daughter Anne Marie got in touch with the Consumer Champion - ironically, her cooker was destroyed in a kitchen fire on Whittam Road in January this year.
Anne Marie said: "It has taken weeks to try to get this switch moved and we still haven't got anywhere with Places for People.
"The electrician who put it there said it could only go on the ceiling but it doesn't make sense because my mum needs to use her walking stick to switch it on.
"My mum's legs give way sometimes and she can't grip things properly and it can be dangerous for her to reach for the ceiling.
"She has to be able to reach the switch in case there is a fire and she needs to switch off the power supply."
Mrs Hartley, 65, said: "The switch was in a different place before but the electrician who moved it said it needed to go there.
"It's about 18 inches from the ceiling and I have to reach over the cooker and use my walking stick to reach it.
"It's been hard work since they put in the new cooker - it took five weeks to get it connected to get it all sorted.
"It's the electrician working for Places for People who put it there and they wanted to charge me to move it but I told them I wan't prepared to pay."
The Champ checked with Places for People why the process had been delayed and after his inquiry, Mrs Hartley was promised it would be sorted as soon as possible.
A spokesman for Places for People said: "The safety and wellbeing of our customers is of the utmost importance to Places for People.
"On this occasion, concerns regarding the safety of moving the switch lower has delayed any action being taken.
"It has since been agreed that the work can take place, and Mrs Hartley will receive the relevant work shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this delay."
Mrs Hartley said: "I think your involvement had something to do with the fact that Places for People phoned me up and promised that they would fix it as soon as possible! thanks a lot."
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Weather for Chorley
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
