A survivor of a gas explosion which killed two people in Hounslow has complained about her treatment after being landed with a huge bill for the damage.
The blast ripped a giant scoop out of a row of terraced houses in Bath Road on October 28 last year, killing Suhail Akhtar and his girlfriend Dorota Kolasinska.
It tore through the properties after fierce winds brought a tree crashing down that morning in the St Jude's storm, rupturing a gas pipe and creating a deadly build-up of gas, which then ignited.
More than a year later, the five houses remain much as they were that morning, an inquest into the deaths has yet to be held and families are still awaiting the findings of a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the tragedy.
Now householders and their relatives are being asked to pay nearly £73,000 including VAT between them for emergency work to make the buildings safe on the morning of the explosion.
The original bill was roughly twice that but the council negotiated a reduction with contractor Wates, which had been brought in to carry out the work.
Margaret Murphy, who would most probably be dead had she not left her house that morning to investigate the smell of gas, described it as the latest in a long list of insults to survivors and the family of those who died.
"They want us to pay this money knowing we lost everything, which doesn't seem right. We've also received no itemised bill, which we're not happy about," said the 72-year-old grandmother-of-nine.
"Two people have died and the rest of us have had our lives turned upside down but there's been no compassion in the way this has been handled."
Hounslow Council leader Steve Curran said: "Last year's St Jude's storm was a tragic incident for the families affected by the gas explosion and especially for those who lost loved ones.
"I was very proud of the way the community rallied around each other and the fast, effective response by the emergency services and our own officers.
"In relation to the cause of the gas explosion, we cannot comment on this as this is an on-going police investigation. The decision on whether there will be an inquest currently sits with the Coroner for West London.
"With regard to the £60,000 costs (not including VAT) to make the buildings safe, this was initially met by the council. However, as is usual practice, they will be passed on to and divided between each of the five affected properties, via their respective insurance companies. Unfortunately some of the residents were not insured.
"We can understand and sympathise with these residents and we are working hard with them to find a suitable solution while ensuring council taxpayers' interests are protected."
Householders said they had also been asked to pay £20,000 for hoardings, despite Ms Murphy explaining how the barriers hadn't stopped intruders ransacking the properties and stealing personal items.
However, the council said it was not aware of them being charged for this and it would be picking up the bill.
Negotiations are ongoing with the council, householders and their insurers about what will happen to the land, with an offer of £850,000 from developers having been rejected. They have been told it will cost £40,000 just to demolish what remains of the buildings.
Mrs Murphy said she and her former neighbours, who have been told it is still too dangerous to go inside and collect their belongings, were fed up with waiting for matters to be resolved.
They also want someone to take responsibility for the disaster, which they believe could have been prevented.
"The roots of the tree were wrapped around the gas pipe and when it fell the pipe was lifted up. Who on earth puts a gas pipe right under a tree. They're calling it an act of God but someone needs to take responsibility for what happened," said Mrs Murphy, whose home was one of two without buildings insurance.
To add insult to injury, just weeks after moving into temporary accommodation in Isleworth at the beginning of this year, Mrs Murphy received a letter from the council's housing arm Hounslow Homes saying she was £1,000 in arrears and threatening her with court action.
Although Hounslow Homes later apologised and accepted she did not owe any money she said she found the letter very distressing and it should never have been sent in the first place.
Mr Curran said: "I would like to apologise once again to Mrs Murphy, who was presented with a bill.
"While this was a genuine administrative error, it was obviously incredibly insensitive, and it must have been very distressing. We have now reviewed our procedures to ensure this will not happen again."
I shouldn't be here today - Margaret Murphy's account of the tragic explosion
"I woke up and I could smell gas, so I went outside and saw the tree had collapsed. I went to try to help the man next door but I couldn't get in because the tree was blocking the way.
"I was still outside when the explosion happened, but I never even heard the bang, despite people hearing it over at Iceland (at the top of Hounslow High Street).
"It was only two weeks later when I had a nightmare about what happened that I heard the bang for the first time.
"I remember being thrown to the floor and seeing fire coming out of the ground, and the next thing I knew I was being dragged over the road to Cloisters (a nursing home). I needed six stitches but other than that I was OK.
"If I'd still been in bed when the explosion happened I would almost certainly have been killed."
