A 68-year-old man who was promised a new boiler four months ago turned blue with cold in his own home on Christmas Eve.

Parkinson's disease sufferer Heber Williams was rushed to hospital at 2am. His wife Christine, 72, discovered his condition after his distress caused him to fall out of bed.

The couple, of Derby Street, have been left without heating since Powergen cut the gas supply and condemned the boiler in May.

They were granted £2,500 by the government-funded Warm Front scheme for a new heater in September. The means tested grant, reserved for residents over 60 and on disability allowance, went straight to contractor G C Services.

But Mrs Williams says in spite of having the money G C Services have not done the work. They have said they will not have the parts until mid January.

She said: “If you take your shoes off your feet feel like they might drop off. “Warm Front say they've given the money so it’s out of their hands. We have a small heater and a two-bar fire but they don’t keep us warm.”

G C Services acknowledged they had received the money but said they were legally restrained from making comments about grant-funded work.

A spokesman for DEFRA, which distributes the grants, said: “Some applicants regard our time scales as too long particularly in cases where an existing heater has broken. This is a challenge to us because time reductions would push up costs significantly. Vouchers are available for heaters and fires for people who have to wait.”