A disabled council house resident in Sandwich has been left devastated after electrical workers fitted unsightly trunking up and down her living room walls, the room she calls her ‘sanctuary’.

Liz Franks, 59 of Burch Avenue in Sandwich, who suffers with rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia and diabetes, was told the council would be undertaking some electrical works in her home.

She was not expecting her house to be completely rewired.

She said: “I thought I was just having some sockets replaced. Nobody had mentioned a complete rewire.”

On the first day of work she was left without any lights upstairs and wires were left exposed and dangling.

She said: “My son-in-law, who is an electrician helped me. Even he couldn’t believe the mess they’d left.

“On day two they drilled through the walls and pulled items out of the cupboard.

“They left all of the items including, my sewing machine out, my double bed and bed-side cabinets pulled out, and piles of black dust.”

On the third day, work was undertaken in Mrs Franks’ living room.

Unsightly wires that couldn’t be hidden behind the wall due to her wallpaper were instead hidden behind trunking.

She said: “I’ve got trunking all up the walls and all the way around the top. It’s in every corner in my lounge and behind all my curtains.”

She added: “My home isn’t immaculate or the best decorated, but it’s my home and my lounge is my sanctuary.

“I just went to bed and cried. It looks horrible. It makes me feel very depressed.”

When the workers returned the next day, Mrs Franks asked them to stop working.

She said: “I was told that if I had to have trunking it would be along the bottom, by the skirting boards.

“After it was done, they said I had to have it by the ceiling because of the radiators. .

“My main argument is about the trunking. Everyone has been shocked by the state of it.”

A devastated Mrs Franks contacted the Mercury on Friday, who on the same day contacted Dover District Council, which said East Kent Housing was looking into the matter.

Mechanical and electrical manager for East Kent Housing Brian Manley said: “Our maintenance inspector visited Mrs Franks to explain the work involved in rewiring her home on Tuesday, October 14.

“As the property has some laminate flooring and wallpapered walls, we explained that not all the wires could be hidden and some trunking would be needed. We always try to limit the disruption caused during our work by tidying and putting back furniture. As the rewiring work was stopped upon Mrs Franks’ immediate request, this may not have happened.

“We are keen to finish the works to Mrs Franks’ home as soon as possible, and I will be visiting Mrs Franks this week to inspect the work and discuss how we can resolve this matter. We are sorry if we have caused any inconvenience, and we will fully investigate this matter to see if any changes or improvements are needed in the way we carry out rewiring work.”