There are fears that a Merseyside pensioner living in squalid conditions "may not survive winter" as she is living with just a small electric heater to warm her dilapidated home and only toast to eat.
Shocking images show the situation the older woman, called Irene currently finds herself in at her Huyton home. One picture shows the tiny electric heater she uses to try and heat her entire home after her gas supply was isolated. This means she is without any central heating or hot water.
Another image shows her damaged back door, which doesn't close properly, while there is also a large hole in one of her walls. Irene is vulnerable and relies on oxygen cannisters, making the conditions she is living in extremely dangerous. Another grim image shows Irene surviving on a piece of toast because she has no other means to cook food.
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Irene's story and the harrowing images of her home have been shared online by James Anderson who runs the Depher Community Interest Company - a plumbing and heating repair company that works to help people who are living in squalid conditions and cannot afford to maintain properties.
James, originally from Norris Green but now based in Lancashire, is now seeking the help of local Merseyside businesses and tradespeople to help make Irene's home fit for human habitation.
Having inspected Irene's home, he took to twitter to detail the situation and ask for help. He said: "This is where Irene lives. She is an elderly lady who needs urgent help, without it her neighbour said "she may not survive another winter."
Picturing the tiny electric heater, he added: "This is her only form of heating. He gas has been isolated, leaving her without any form of warmth or hot water. Irene needs the help of the community and experts." With an image of Irene sat next to a piece of toast, he added: "Jam on toast is nice, but not as a set meal."
Speaking to the ECHO, James said: "It was Irene's neighbour that first alerted us to the situation as she was very worried. We went to the house and it was pretty terrible - it was freezing too as she has no heating. Irene has had to get used to this, but she shouldn't have to - she nearly cried when we told her we were going to help her out."
James set up Depher after his young son sadly died several years ago. He wanted to do something positive to help people that would have made his son proud. He said in recent times he has seen people living in increasingly grim conditions as they can no longer afford to repair and maintain their homes.
He is now hoping that through donations and offers of help from local companies, work can begin to make Irene's home safe to live in again.
He added: "We need quite a lot of help. We need a door fitter, a kitchen fitter, a carpet fitter, plumbers, gas engineers and someone to provide a skip and help clear out the property. We also welcome any donations from people that will help with the project."
If you would like to contribute to help improve Irene's home, you can do so here
Any businesses or tradespeople that can offer services are asked to contact James on 07521702043 or at info@depher.co.uk
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