Why it's a shame people don't have four legs

"Shock rise" -- why are they in shock? I know of many families whose homes are in urgent need of repair, and in a state of disrepair.

Let me give you this example -- one family I know complained for years to the Housing Office about the state of the kitchen ceiling (the kitchen ceiling collapsed). The tenant had also complained about the rotten floorboards in the bathroom (a member of the family fell through the bathroom floorboards). So with no kitchen ceiling and few bathroom floorboards, they waved to each other as one person took a bath and the others prepared and cooked in the kitchen. And when visitors came to the house, they too had the opportunity to wave to the person taking a bath, or sitting on the toilet.

After months the ceiling and floorboards were repaired. This is just a very small example of what tenants have to put up with and endure, especially the poor who are unable to buy their own homes and therefore have to live in whatever accommodation the council sees fit to house them.

To say I'm flabbergasted by the comments of the powers that be is an understatement, if there was no disrepair, judgements would not be made against the council by the courts.

Councillor Critchley also states that money is being diverted from the repairs fund to pay these claims, which is "unfair". What is unfair, is that the poor of this country are being forced to live in conditions that an RSPCA inspector would not allow an animal to live in. It's a shame people don't have four legs!

If the repairs were being carried out, there wouldn't be any claims.

The council states that it's "doing its best", but according to the article the council are still facing outstanding legal claims for "Breaching repairs obligations", for more than 300 homes -- is this really their best? I'm sure their own homes are not in a state of disrepair.

Miss M Jordan

Cherry Tree Avenue

Farnworth, Bolton