'It could have killed us' – Highland tenant says fumes from cracked chimney were potentially deadly
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An Ulbster man who lives near the historic Whaligoe Steps in Caithness said his broken chimney stack could have killed him and his wife with carbon monoxide fumes as they slept.
Davie Nicolson and his wife Isla live in a council house at The Haven in Ulbster and fear their broken chimney stack could collapse at any time and believe that carbon monoxide fumes poisoned them one morning a fortnight ago.
"My eyes were stinging and Isla was coughing and spluttering," recalled Mr Nicolson.
"The fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms were going off so we phoned the council's emergency number and the lassie said 'Oh, that's dangerous, you'll have to phone the fire brigade'. So the fire brigade came and they said it could have killed us."
Mr and Mrs Nicolson have been in a long-running battle with Highland Council to have the chimney stack repaired after initial cracks were seen in it a number of years ago. The council sent staff out to try and repair the problem but Mr Nicolson said the work was poorly done.
"Six years ago they put wire netting around it and plastered over it and I told them that'll not work," he told the Groat this week.
"I phoned the council when it started cracking again three years ago and was getting worse and worse. The council said there was nothing they could do about it and that the neighbours have to pay for half as their house is bought."
Mr Nicolson claims that his neighbour would not pay for the work to be done initially and the chimney stack continued to deteriorate despite council workers putting strapping around it. He said that council surveyors came and inspected it around a year ago saying the chimney was a "disgrace". After that visit, council workers came and fitted a new ratchet strap around the stack.
The couple usually kept their anthracite-fuelled fire going 24-hours a day to maintain hot water and heat radiators. Two weeks ago, on a Saturday morning, Mr Nicolson woke up in the bedroom and complained to his wife that his eyes were stinging.
"My eyes were watering and Isla's eyes were watering as well and she was coughing. She said she could smell something and then the fire alarms started going off as well as the carbon monoxide [detector].
"I got every window open but it was blowing a gale that day." The couple's house faces the coastline where the Whaligoe Steps are situated and weather conditions are known to be very severe at that location. Mr Nicolson claims that the fire personnel that attended used "smoke bombs" to test his sitting room appliance and deemed it "dangerous" and unfit for use. They also said the chimney stack posed a serious risk and could collapse at any moment.
Highland Council gave the couple several electric heaters and told them to use the immersion heater for hot water but they fear the extra costs for running the appliances despite the local authority offering some reimbursement.
A council spokesperson said: “The chimney shared by our property at 3 The Haven and 4 The Haven, a private property, was noted to be cracked and an approach was made to the private owner to discuss mutual repairs.
"An independent survey has been carried out to assess works to take down and rebuild the stack and a quote for the work obtained. Our maintenance team are in contact with the private owner who has been advised to proceed with the works and we will pay a half-share of costs upon completion to our mutual satisfaction.”
Council leader and councillor for the ward, Raymond Bremner, said: “I have spoken to the council’s officers in respect of the issue regarding the repair of a chimney stack at a council’s tenanted property at The Haven in Ulbster. I have received a full update in respect of the current progress and I expect the council to be undertaking repairs in due course in agreement with others as appropriate. It’s important to make sure that we provide the best outcome for tenants.”
Wick and East Caithness councillor Willie Mackay visited the couple this week after the Groat sent him details of the issue. He said: "I then contacted the Highland Council housing and building maintenance department which informed me that works were in hand to repair the chimney.
"An agreement had been reached with the private owner who shares the stack and the council were awaiting a date from the private owner to start the works as his quote was lower than that obtained by the Highland Council housing and building maintenance."
Wick provost and ward councillor Jan McEwan said: "This should not have to take a councillor's intervention for the council to realise how urgent these repairs are. This is an urgent health and safety issue and should be at the top of their repair list."
