YOUNG families continue to suffer nearly a week after gales blacked out the county as Ipswich's MP comes under attack for suggesting they are "overreacting".

By Victoria Knowles

YOUNG families continue to suffer nearly a week after gales blacked out the county as Ipswich's MP comes under attack for suggesting they are "overreacting".

Emma Youngman, of Peterhouse Crescent, Woodbridge, is still unable to cook her young son a meal, to bath him or heat her home.

"I am just so angry and since I read Chris Mole's comment the other day I have become even more incensed, " she said.

She hit out at comments by the Ipswich Labour MP, who suggested there had been an overreaction to the problems caused by the storm.

"It is all right for him because he probably still has power. He can go home to a warm house. All our road is out and there are no streetlights which makes it a horrible place to be at the moment.

"Luckily I have friends and family who I can call on but there are plenty of elderly people in the area who do not.

"We had to call social services to one elderly lady in our road because she was in such a state. She is in her 70s and was unable to have a bath or anything and she has no one to turn to, " she added.

The 25-year-old has been told she will not be reconnected until at least Monday and faces the whole weekend without power.

"People don't realise how bad it is. I have been left without answers from 24Seven. I can understand how in the immediate aftermath they had to deal with priority cases but what about now?

"There is never anyone to speak to there and they have left people confused and angry."

Meanwhile Michelle Grant, of Girton Close, Woodbridge is sleeping in the living room with her seven-week-old baby.

The only heating she has in her house is one gas fire and after nearly a week without electricity she is beginning to fear for her baby's health.

"I am disgusted with 24Seven. We are still without power and all we have to cook with is a camping stove lent to us by a friend.

"I am having to sleep downstairs with my baby because it is too dangerous to get up in the middle of the night and try to negotiate the darkness with her. I am starting to get really worried about her because we are relying on candles and already the edges of her nostrils are turning black where she is breathing in smoke and I will definitely be taking her to the doctors on Monday," she said angrily.

Michelle's husband David Grant said he had only managed to get through to someone at 24Seven today.

"They told me they were beginning to work on our road but I have seen no vans and no workers in the area. I would just like to tell people that they don't know how lucky they are to have a warm house and a television to watch."