People who live in a freezing block of flats have been told they need to ask permission to warm up in the cold snap.

A letter has been sent to residents in Purcell House, a 12-storey block in Goat Lane, telling them they must get clearance from Enfield Homes if they want to use oil or gas heaters.

The order received a frosty response from residents who often have to endure freezing temperatures because two of the four boilers in the block of flats are prone to breaking down.

Vicky Grace is a 23-year-old working mother to 17-month-old-baby Ruby.

She said: “It is ridiculous. We were also told to put jumpers on but I never even know when the heating is going to work.

“It did not work for two weeks a month ago. It’s still not fixed. They have told us it’s fixed but it’s not.

“I pay full rent and council tax so I would think I could expect full facilities.”

Andrea Edwards, 37, says the heating in her flat has failed seven times this year.

The mother-of-two uses heaters, even though the cost doubles her energy spending from £40 to £80 a month.

She says a toll is being taken on the family’s health.

She added: “It’s disgusting. I have a 16-year-old epileptic girl and if she is ill she becomes prone to fits. This cold flat is not helping.”

A spokeswoman for Enfield Homes, the body set up by the council to manage its flats, said it has installed three boilers at a cost of £7,000 each.

She said: “The remaining boilers were kept running and the additional load on these boilers did mean that they would lock out on occasions.

“Enfield Homes arranged for a maintenance contractor to attend site on a regular basis to reset the remaining boilers until the installation of new ones was complete.”

She said residents using heaters to warm their flats can be sure that they will only pay for what they use.

But this is likely to be cold comfort to tenants.

Ms Grace said: “When I finish work I want a nice bath and the heating on.

“I can’t have both at the moment. Surely it can’t be that hard.”