A MAN has been forced to wash in his sink for two weeks after a housing association did not repair his broken shower.

David Carr, 74, of Shannon Close, Leigh’s wet room shower broke at the beginning of this month and he is still waiting for South Essex Homes (SEH) to fix the broken system.

He said: “I have been without the shower since July 2.

“I informed South Essex Homes that very day about the problem.

“The pump had gone, and the shower was no longer putting out any water.

“I made very clear to them how livid I was and how outrageous it was that they have not come to fix it even still.

“I am going to be making an official complaint.”

After Mr Carr’s complaint, he was visited by a contractor for SEH on Friday July 6.

During the visit, they found that there was a need to replace and refit an entirely new shower system at the property.

The refit will include the building of a new shower, waste pump and transformer.

A spokesman for SEH said the parts needed for the fix were not kept in stock and so they needed to be ordered in, however they were not available, and the contractor had still not received the pieces needed for the work to be completed.

They also said that Mr Carr will receive no compensation at all, despite continuing to wait.

The spokesman added: “This is an isolated incident involving just this property, which is fitted with a wet room.

“We do apologise for what we appreciate is an inconvenience for the resident, however, as the problems with the shower have not affected the hot water supply to the property and he has still had washing facilities, our Compensation Policy does not apply.”

Mr Carr continued to contact the housing association to make his complaint clear.

He said: “In a heatwave such as this, it is more important than any other time of year that people should have a working shower.

“I am fortunate in that I am very active for 74 years old and so washing is not an as large a struggle for me as it can be for other people my age, but it is just ridiculous that I have had to wait this long for something that is a genuine necessity.”

SEH say it will continue to keep Mr Carr updated on when his new working shower will be fitted.