Elderly and infirm council tenants living in an Oxford sheltered housing complex have been left without hot water for a week.

Residents of Northbrook House, in Knights Road, Blackbird Leys, have been boiling kettles of water to wash, provoking fears that an accident will occur.

They claim Oxford City Council has done nothing to resolve the problem, caused by a faulty boiler, or to keep them informed about efforts to solve the problem, despite recently introducing a new utilities charge element in their rent.

After the Oxford Mail became involved yesterday, the council promised to make temporary repairs to the boiler by the end of the day.

Tenants living in the 33 warden-controlled flats in Northbrook House said the hot water system, which is independent from their heating, had not been working properly for two or three months and broke down completely on Friday, April 26.

Many of the elderly residents are frail, while others have carers who come in to wash them.

They pay the council rents of between £357 and £370 a month, which used to include the cost of electricity and hot water.

Although the rents were not increased last month, tenants now have to pay an additional £5-a-week utility charge.

Donald Ray, 73, whose right arm and leg are weak due to a recent stroke, has been filling a large saucepan to heat water and then uses a jug to transfer it to his sink.

He said: "Why should anyone like us have to boil a kettle and carry it for several yards to a bathroom sink for a wash and shave? On the way we could fall or trip and the hot water could spill all over our legs.

"The extra charge the council is making us pay is a bit ironic, because we haven't had any hot water for a week."

Former factory worker Charles Dill, 91, said his daughter had been coming in to take his washing home with her.

He said: "I can't have a bath or even a shower.

"I have to have a wash in cold water, which is a bit inconvenient.

"No-one has told us what's happening and when you phone the council, no-one knows what's going on."

Peter Bartlett, 56, said: "A lot of the people here are elderly and there will be an outcry if one of them falls over with a kettle of boiling water and burns themselves.