A couple from County Durham have said they have been "unable to sleep at night" after British Gas mistakenly broke into their house to remove a gas meter.
Dox Docherty, 38, and his wife got the shock of their lives after a worker from British Gas and two debt collectors broke into their property in Langley Moor on June 8 over a debt. This is despite the fact that the couple has no gas meter and no account with British Gas.
After complaining to British Gas, Dox was told that they had the wrong address and had actually entered the wrong property. The couple owns the property in question and currently rents it out but lives next door as they work to convert it into a family home.
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Dox explained: "We own a block of flats next door to our property and my wife came out and saw three men leaving so she asked them what they were doing. They said they had just broken into the house and picked the lock to get in to remove a meter from a flat in the building.
"We have no gas or meter in that house, there has been no gas in the building for at least 30 years. They had no warrant, they had a piece of paper which said they had applied for a warrant and when we asked, British Gas couldn't provide a warrant even though they said one was issued.
"I spoke to British Gas on Friday and they confirmed they broke into the wrong house. The service from British Gas has been disgusting and the matter certainly isn't closed for us."
The incident has left the couple, who have two children, feeling unsafe in their own home. Dox said: "We can't sleep, I'm up at 1am, 3am every night. Every single time we hear a car door slam we're looking out the window. We just can't relax at all, it's just awful. My wife was so shaken up and even with a locked front door we now no longer feel safe in our own home."
Dox said he posted about the incident on TikTok and said other people have come forward to say the same thing has happened to them. He said: "I posted about it on TikTok and it's had about 13,000 hits and a lot of people are commenting on it to say the exact same thing has happened to them. This kind of thing happens on a regular basis up and down the country, it's so scary.
"This could have been so much worse, it's just so scary to think about. One woman said a man had broke in while she was in bed and was standing over her asking about her gas meter. We just don't want this happening to anyone else."
A British Gas spokesperson said: "We’ve spoken to Mrs Docherty to tell her we are very sorry for what has happened. There was an address mix-up of the flats and this led to a visit that was meant for another household. We’ve amended our records to ensure this doesn’t happen again and will be offering them compensation for the distress this has caused."
Dox was so concerned by the matter that he reported the incident to the police, however, Durham Constabulary confirmed it was a civil matter and that no criminal offences had taken place.
A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: "An incident was reported to us at 8.40pm on Wednesday, June 8. After attending the property and speaking with the caller, officers were satisfied that it was a civil matter and that no criminal offences had taken place."
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