SOME frustrated families in the Felixstowe area say they have not yet received a penny from power giant 24seven's compensation offer.Colin Carter, whose home at Falkenham was without power for six days, said he had sent a letter claiming compensation, but nothing had yet been received, not even an acknowledgement of his claim.

SOME frustrated families in the Felixstowe area say they have not yet received a penny from power giant 24seven's compensation offer.

Colin Carter, whose home at Falkenham was without power for six days, said he had sent a letter claiming compensation, but nothing had yet been received, not even an acknowledgement of his claim.

"You would think they would have sent out a standard letter just saying that the claim was being processed," he said.

Mr Carter has vowed to fight all the way on the compensation issue and has accused 24seven of "treating its customers like dirt".

He said the company's offer of £100 was derisory and laughable, and in no way would compensate for the misery the loss of power caused, the damage to appliances and the inconvenience in having to get them replaced or repaired.

"It is absolutely disgusting – there is no way I am going to accept that," he said.

"What we went through was a nightmare. We had no heating, no lighting, and if we had not had Calor gas we would have had no food.

"We lost two TV sets which blew up because of power surges, and the telephone packed up, and we lost a freezer full of food."

Mr Carter, who runs a car repair business in Bridge Road, Felixstowe, was also upset at 24seven's attitude.

"When I contacted them on the Monday after the storm they said my power would be on within four hours! It took until Saturday night. If I told someone their car would be ready the next day and then took another five days I would soon be out of business. People want an accurate and honest picture," he said.

But Adrian Burrows and Julie Cornforth, who were without power at their home in Gulpher Road on the edge of Felixstowe for five days, have received their £100 – though they are very disappointed at the compensation sum.

"For what we had to go through – 124 hours without power – I think we should have got more, probably double that amount," said Ms Cornforth.

"They usually give £100 for a couple of days. But that was all they were going to give basically and it was like it or lump it. I don't think there is any more we can do."

The couple's power supply only got repaired when Ms Cornforth went to 24seven's Ipswich offices to protest, and refused to move.

Within hours, engineers were in Gulpher Road putting back a line which had been whipped off its post and tangled with others.

The couple lost the food in their freezer, had to keep going to my parents' for showers and flasks of hot water to make drinks, and had to have hot food brought in while the power was off.