Tower Hamlets Leaseholder's Association

This happened in Kent. We must make sure it does not happen in Tower Hamlets

An elderly widow has died after being forced to take out a second mortgage when her council told her to make her home more energy-efficient.

Dorothy Hacking's family deemed the local authority's actions "disgusting" after she was told to pay for stone-cladding repairs to make sure her former council flat in Ramsgate, Kent, complied with laws on CO2 emissions.

The deaf and partially-sighted grandmother died in hospital on Friday after being overcome by stress due to Thanet District Council's demands, her daughter Rosemary said.

Mrs Brown, 53, told the Thanet Gazette: "It is disgusting she was faced with this fear when the council insisted on doing work over which she had no control."

She said her bedridden mother was "financially stretched to the limits" after receiving the £16,000 bill.

Before her death Mrs Hacking, 91, herself told the local paper: "I was petrified that if I did not pay up I would be evicted."

Councillor Zita Wiltshire, cabinet member for housing, said: "Leaseholders were informed of how much they would have to pay 22 months before they received bills and they told our officers at that time that they were happy for the work to be carried out."

She said Mrs Hacking was the first of the council's leaseholders to pay the bill.

All councils must reduce their CO2 emissions by 30% within 10 years under the Home Energy Conservation Act.