A pensioner who was unable to use his toilet due to a burst pipe said he waited weeks for it to be fixed because the council told him it was not a priority.

Reginald Denton, who lives in Osward Place, Edmonton, said he was forced to urinate in his garden during the night because the leak became so serious it flooded the hallway.

The 68-year-old claimed he reported the leaking pipe on September 26 – but it was not until November 8 that the council finally sent contractors round to fix it.

Mr Denton said: “I am 68, I have a serious heart condition. I have got to have a quadruple bypass. I don’t need this stress.

“I was having to go in the garden to wee at night. The council said they didn’t think it was a priority.

“I wouldn’t complain if it wasn’t serious.”

Mr Denton said that when he first reported the leak it was “a couple of weeks” before someone came and took photographs of it.

He called the council three more times to complain about the issue, which gradually became worse until water was “gushing out” of the pipe and onto the carpet in his hallway.

Mr Denton said: “I said, ‘I am getting floods in my kitchen. The pipe has burst.’

“I know council staff are very busy, and I feel sorry for them – but they don’t have to go to a home where it is constantly flooded.

“I could have afforded a private plumber, but it would have left me a bit short on my pension.

“I have heard nothing about whether the council will pay for the damage. I am going to complain and get compensation for the hallway.”

Mr Denton is also worried that a hole drilled in the wall to fix the leak could pose a health risk because the building contains asbestos.

He said the leak had now been dealt with and his damaged carpet replaced but he did not want others to be faced with a similar wait.

Enfield Council said it does not comment on individual cases.