A DISABLED County Durham man and his family have been left with just £100 in compensation from Northern Powergrid, despite spending “48 hours in hell” during Storm Arwen that saw the family trapped in the upstairs of their property.

Like thousands of others, Miles Gibson and his family, from Mickleton, were left without power on Friday, November 26, when Storm Arwen battered parts of the North East with torrential rain and 100mph winds – leaving 240,000 people without electricity and heating.

However, for Mr Gibson, who was diagnosed with MS in 2000 and is currently classified as a quadriplegic, the impact of the power shortages affected him more than most.

Read more: This is how much compensation the North East has had after Storm Arwen

Since his diagnosis, the Mickleton resident and his health have deteriorated in the 21 years that’s followed – which has seen him rely solely on an electric wheelchair and a stairlift in his house.

In normal circumstances, Miles would have had access to the toilet and wet room at the downstairs of his property, but when the power in his house went out at the end of November, he was stuck in the upstairs section of his house with no heating, no electricity and two children to keep entertained.

After power still wasn’t restored by Sunday morning, Mr Gibson his wife and children were left on the landing of their house for 48 hours.

The Northern Echo: Mr Gibson was left upstairs in his Mickleton property for 48 hours after his specialist equipment ran out of power. Photo: SARAH CALDECOTT.Mr Gibson was left upstairs in his Mickleton property for 48 hours after his specialist equipment ran out of power. Photo: SARAH CALDECOTT.

During that time, Mr Gibson couldn’t use the toilet, was fed by his family, and had to use the family’s beloved cat as a ‘heat blanket’.

Speaking about the experience, Mr Gibson said: “I don’t know what I’d have done without my family – they were my saviours in those tough moments and got me through.

“My wheelchair, environmental controls, hoist and pressure-relieving cushions and mattress are all powered by electricity, and they were starting to run out of charge – I was at the mercy of Storm Arwen and could do nothing but sit there and wait.”

The Northern Echo: Left: Miles with his son Myron, 6. Right: Miles uses the pet cat as a 'warmth blanket'.Left: Miles with his son Myron, 6. Right: Miles uses the pet cat as a 'warmth blanket'.

Despite spending large sums of money on food and other items during the power outage, the Gibson family have now been handed just £100 in compensation from Northern Powergrid as a ‘gesture of goodwill’.

Due to the family’s power coming back on during Sunday evening and only being detached for 48 hours, the company claim that they’re not entitled to any further compensation.

However, the Gibson’s now say that it's “not about the money, it’s about the principle” of leaving vulnerable residents in a “desperate situation” without power and not thinking about the impact this has had on certain individuals in County Durham communities.

The Northern Echo: Left: The specialist equipment that was unable to be used during the power outage. Right: Miles with his family during '48 hours in hell'. Left: The specialist equipment that was unable to be used during the power outage. Right: Miles with his family during '48 hours in hell'.

Mr Gibson’s wife, Melanie told The Northern Echo: “We didn’t ask for compensation, it was just presented to us. We couldn’t care less about the money given out to us – but we want to know that this won’t happen again.

“Having been in that situation and seeing the impact it had on Miles, I never want to experience that again, not for me, him or my two children.

“I’ve spoken to Northern Powergrid many times since, and I’ve urged them to let everyone know about the plan they have in place after Storm Arwen and how they will prevent this happening again.

The Northern Echo: North West Durham MP, Richard Holden, has spoken out about the "unacceptable" compensation.North West Durham MP, Richard Holden, has spoken out about the "unacceptable" compensation.

“We have vulnerable priority because of Miles’ condition, but that didn’t help us – like many others, we couldn’t get through to Powergrid when it mattered most.”

In the aftermath of Storm Arwen, compensation has been a controversial topic, with several people being ‘short-changed’ the amount they are truly owed from the power outages.

According to North West Durham MP, Richard Holden, this ‘mix-up’ in the compensation payments is “totally unacceptable,” with the Conservative politician in contact with both residents and Northern Powergrid to solve the issue.

The Northern Echo: Northern Powergrid has confirmed that it's compensated 25,000 customers so far.Northern Powergrid has confirmed that it's compensated 25,000 customers so far.

Mr Holden said: “Several people have been in touch with my office about issues, mostly relating to a previous resident’s name on their cheque.

"We have been in touch with them almost every day for the last month or so, and I’ll call them regarding underpayments tomorrow. After what all residents have been through, this is unacceptable.”

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said: “We know that the storm, and the lengthy power cuts it caused, created some very difficult circumstances for many people. So, we wanted to make as many payments as possible before Christmas. Our dedicated team has worked flat out to make it possible for most of our customers to receive their payment before Christmas.”

So far, the company has revealed that 24,000 affected customers have received compensation for their inconvenience during the storm.  

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