Ramsgate man sleeps in lounge for two years due to burst water main
- Published
Michael Stapleton, 74, from Ramsgate, said his former bedroom is now "uninhabitable"
A pensioner who has had to sleep in his living room for two years after his house was damaged by a burst water main said he feels "broken".
It is thought a sinkhole caused the major leak under the pavement outside 74-year-old Michael Stapleton's bungalow in Ramsgate, Kent.
His insurer has apologised for the delays.
The MP for South Thanet said the response to the issue was "not good enough".
The foundations of Mr Stapleton's home were damaged when a burst pipe caused 15 litres of water per second to come under the property for five hours.
Repairs are yet to be completed 27 months on.
It is thought a sinkhole caused the major leak under the pavement outside the bungalow
Mr Stapleton said the "main problem" for him was the lack of communication from the parties involved.
His insurer, Royal Sun Alliance, have apologised for the delays they said were caused by a "property boundary issue" and a potential World War II bomb discovery.
They said work to repair the damaged floor should start in April now the property has been underpinned.
"We are reviewing Mr and Mrs Stapleton's complaint and will be offering further compensation for the delays they've experienced, and our previous offer of alternative accommodation remains available," they added.
Southern Water said it welcomed progress being made by the insurers.
The firm said: "We are very sorry to hear of the distress this continues to cause to Mr and Mrs Stapleton, following a reported sink hole and water pipe leak dating back to 27 December 2020.
"We welcome the progress now being made by the couple's insurers, and we hope that a resolution can be found swiftly."
Cracks have appeared on the exterior of the house
Mr Stapleton moved his bed after the floor in the main bedroom dropped three inches
South Thanet MP Craig MacKinlay has criticised Royal Sun Alliance and Southern Water for trying "shift responsibility" to each other.
"Both are forgetting that there are real people behind each of these harrowing events, leaving lives upturned and put on hold for periods extending into years," he said.
He thinks insurers should pay out early and have "back room arguments" in their "own time".
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