Elderly residents were left in the cold and dark for two days after Storm Eunice knocked out electricity to their care home – with one pensioner reported to have broken a hip in the power cut.

The Petypher Gardens care home in Kingston Bagpuize near Abingdon, was left without power from 11am on Friday, of last week, until 11pm the next day.

Left in the dark and cold, residents were unable to flush their toilets after a pump stopped working and electric doors to the home were left wide open.

The building is owned by South Oxfordshire Housing Association (SOHA) with care provided by the Order of St John, whose staff remained at the care home to support residents with extra care requirements.

SOHA sent two members of staff to check on the residents, offering bottled water and torches on Friday. The next day they attempted to provide temporary power, but found that it was not possible and instead offered to move tenants into local bed and breakfast accommodation.

Villagers provided a generator and 1st Longworth Scout Group served hot drinks.

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Dianna Swale, a parish councillor in Kingston Bagpuize, was shocked at how the incident was handled and believes SOHA should have taken more responsibility.

She said: "These residents had been sitting in the pitch black and the doors of the residents home were wide open, so anyone could have walked in. It was freezing cold with no running water and they could not flush the toilets."

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She said one resident had collapsed and broken a hip during the power cut. The resident was found lying on the floor the next morning when a family member came over.

Mrs Swale said residents were left with barrels of water to help flush the toilets but some found it too difficult to lift them.

A spokesperson at SOHA said: "At 11pm full power was restored to the scheme, however staff stayed on to check all systems were operational including the fire alarm, water and warden call before departing. We returned on Sunday to check on our residents’ welfare, supply food and drink and offer further support.

"We would like to say a huge thank you to local residents and businesses who were wonderful in coming together to help their community and for working with us to support our residents during this challenging period. We plan to continue working closely with this community to ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of our residents."

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