A PENSIONER has been out of his house for five MONTHS waiting for repairs to be completed after a burst pipe.

Robert Watt and his wife Cecilia have been forced out of their Larkfield home and had to live in a hotel and with relatives.

They want to know why it is taking so long for their insurers to sort the mess out.

Retired shipyard worker Robert claims he’s been passed ‘from pillar to post’ between his insurance company, the loss adjuster and contractors.

Robert, 68, who owns the property in Burns Road, said: “I had a burst pipe under the bathroom sink in March and got an emergency plumber out but he couldn’t turn off the water.

“I ended up getting the fire brigade.

“The kitchen ceiling fell in and every carpet in the house had to be lifted.

“It was a nightmare.”

But the ordeal was in fact only beginning for the couple.

They expected to claim on insurance and for repairs to be carried out promptly so that they could move back in.

Instead, they are still without a permanent roof over their heads almost half a year on.

Their insurance company, Legal and General, initially paid for them to stay in the Premier Inn hotel in Greenock for 10 weeks but the strain of the situation was too much for Cecilia, 73, so much so that she is now being treated for stress.

The couple moved out of the hotel and are now staying with family.

Great-grandfather Robert said: “It was costing Legal and General £540 a week for the two of us to stay in the Premier Inn, we’re saving them thousands of pounds.

“I want to know why it has taken so long to get things sorted.

“It’s affecting my wife’s health.

“You could build a brand new house in the time it has taken.”

Robert who suffers from COPD, says there are too many people involved in handling his case and blames this for the lengthy delay.

He said: “There’s no-one co-ordinating it all.

“I keep being told different things by different people.

“We’re not getting a clear picture of what’s going on.”

Robert says he has been on the phone ‘constantly’ to the loss adjuster and contractors and even complained to an ombudsman about the situation.

Legal & General blame the five month hold-up on a problem with the chimney at Robert’s house, even though he says that he paid £80 to get it checked by an expert who told him there was nothing wrong.

A spokeswoman for Legal & General said: “We have every sympathy with Mr Watt and understand his frustration.

“Unfortunately, it has taken longer than anticipated to complete the necessary works to the property due to the discovery of an unrelated issue with the chimney breast.

“We are currently taking steps with Mr Watt to address this aspect and resolve as quickly as possible.

“We will ensure Mr Watt is regularly updated in respect of progress with the outstanding repairs to his property.”