HUNDREDS of York residents are set to receive compensation after enduring another night of freezing conditions in their homes.

As reported in later editions of last night's Evening Press, about 300 properties in eight streets in the Leeman Road area have been without gas since Monday afternoon after a water pipe burst, leaking into gas mains.

Workers have completed repairs, but were today still pumping water out of the gas main before restoring supplies.

Residents, many who have young children, have been forced to eat and wash at the homes of relatives for lack of hot water, and wrap up in thick jumpers because of the bitterly cold conditions.

Angie Walton, spokeswoman for National Grid Transco, said householders would be entitled to £30 compensation for every 24 hours they were cut off.

"It has been really difficult and cold for all the people affected, and extremely inconvenient," she said.

"I can't believe how good they've been about it and we'd like to thank them for their patience.

"We're really sorry and have been doing everything we can," she said.

Transco engineers, who will have to turn on gas supplies individually as a safety precaution, have worked round the clock to fix the problem which was caused by the burst pipe. Supplies were not expected to be restored to all residents until late this afternoon.

Mother-of-four Sarah Amers, 32, of Lincoln Street, who has been using her microwave to cook food, said: "Everybody is freezing. We've all been wearing extra jumpers. Friends have brought us round electric fan heaters, which will make my bills sky high. We will look into getting compensation."

Ann Brownbridge, landlady of the Jubilee Pub, in Balfour Street, whose gas was only restored yesterday tea time, said few people turned up for a drink because of the cold conditions.

Another resident, from Carnot Street, said she and her partner had been forced to eat take-aways from their local curry house.

"It's absolutely freezing and I can't bear it," she said. "I can't see why it has had to take so long."

The Transco spokeswoman said they had asked City of York Council's social services department about opening up a community facility so residents could keep warm.

But a council spokeswoman said only one "vulnerable person" had been identified in the affected area and that person was being cared for.

Emergency fan heaters and minicookers were handed out to needy residents by Transco in an attempt to keep the winter chill at bay.

Updated: 10:15 Wednesday, December 01, 2004