Council team beats the freeze to aid sisters

GARY MAY (right) and Martyn Scholes, members of Oldham Council’s First Response Team, deliver bottled water to two elderly sisters after water pipes froze at the Denshaw bungalow

TWO elderly sisters left without water after pipes froze have been helped by Oldham Council’s First Response Team.

Nancy Parkin (81), who was being visited by her sister Joan Waite (86) at the time, received emergency supplies of bottled water when the Denshaw house became inaccessible.

The team was alerted to their predicament by Alan Roughley, parish councillor for Saddleworth North, and swung into action.

Drifting snow had made it almost impossible for normal vehicles to reach Mrs Parkin’s remote bungalow on Brownhill Naize, just off Ripponden Road and a well from which water could be drawn had also frozen.

Members of the First Response Team headed to the address in a specially equipped 4x4 vehicle. They were able to negotiate the country lane leading to the bungalow, check the women were all right and hand over 12 bottles of water donated by Oldham’s Sainsbury’s store.

The sisters believe they will now have to wait until the weather warms up for the pipes to thaw.

Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said: “This just goes to show how hard the First Response Team, and all employees, are working to keep the borough and its people safe during some of the worst weather in many years.

“These two ladies were so thankful to see the team that they offered to pay them but we were just glad to help them out.

“I would also like to thank Sainsbury’s.”