An Oxford couple were left in the cold because British Gas failed to provide a card for their meter.

William and Ann Meechan, of Samphire Road, Blackbird Leys, are angry that they were left without the card they need to put credit on their meter.

On Friday, they were shivering with their grandchildren, aged three months and four, when they were told that the card they had been waiting for for two weeks still had not been processed by British Gas.

The family had been forced to live without heating for four days and nights on Friday, March 3 when their meter broke and between last Wednesday and Saturday, when their emergency supply ran out.

Engineers arrived on Saturday to put a £10 credit on the meter and told the family their card would arrive by Wednesday.

Mr Meechan, 46, said: "On March 3, our gas meter shut itself down. We called British Gas to get an engineer out and we were told someone would come within four hours, but no-one came.

"On March 4, someone came out, put some emergency credit on the meter, and told us we couldn't use our old card."

Despite being promised a new card several times, none arrived before the emergency credit ran out.

Mrs Meechan, 50, said: "I think it's disgusting the way we have been treated.

"Three times they have told me I'll be getting a card and now they have told me my order for a new card hasn't been put on the system.

"It has been a disastrous week. It's not pleasant when you can't cook and there's no heating or hot water."

Donna Davies, of British Gas, apologised for the problems and said the delay in issuing a new card was because of a discrepancy in an identity number for the meter between BG records and those held by Siemens, which supplies the meters.

She added: "I would like to reassure them that a new card will be issued as a matter of urgency. We will look into compensating them as a gesture of goodwill."