A Mum of three has been told by her council landlord to provide a blood test to ensure her boiler is working safely.
The bizarre request came after Roseanna Clarkin was to hospital with breathing difficulties this month then suffered further headaches on her return home.
When she told doctors she had issues with her boiler they advised her to get it checked immediately.
An engineer from energy giant SGN visited her home and filed a report saying the boiler was “immediately dangerous”.
Roseanna was asked by council repair contractor City Technical Services (UK) Ltd to have a blood test, which showed elevated carbon monoxide (CO) levels.
She said the contractor and council want another test before her heating and hot water goes back on.
Furious Roseanna, 41, of Clydebank, said: “It is not my responsibility to prove I do not have CO poisoning or symptoms but up to them to prove the boiler is safe. They are holding me to ransom.”
West Dunbartonshire Council emailed the mum on January 21 saying: “A further blood test would satisfy gas safety requirements, and the facilities can then be reinstated.”
It stated slightly higher CO levels than the normal 1.5 per cent can be attributed to factors such as contaminants in the air or exposure to car fumes. Roseanna’s blood test results, dated January 13, showed levels of 2.2 per cent.
CO poisoning symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness or feeling sick. Roseanna started to feel unwell, along with her husband and kids, after she began having issues with her boiler on December 30.
NSGN asid: “Our engineer isolated the boiler as a precaution as the customer presented CO exposure symptoms.”
It’s understood to be highly unusual for the council to ask a tenant to take blood test.
The council said: “Following a check, no issues with the boiler were identified. We are arranging for installation of environmental sensors to monitor air quality.”
Roseanna had a further blood test on Thursday and will get the results this week. Her boiler has been turned back on.
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