Nancy Smith (65), of Wellington Tower, who suffers from asthma and diabetes, called the council on Sunday after fuses in her electricity meter blew three times.

An electrician from the local authority visited Mrs Smith that day and told her he could not carry out the work by himself, that she should switch the electricity off immediately as to do otherwise would be a fire hazard, and that council workmen would return in the morning.

However, no one visited Mrs Smith until Tuesday, by which time she had called the council again to complain about the situation.

Furthermore, she says she was forced to keep her electricity on during that time, despite the fact she was warned to do so would be dangerous, as she had no alternative living arrangements.

“Someone was supposed to come up on Monday but by afternoon there was no sign so I phoned again but it was Tuesday before anyone turned up,” she said.

“In that time the electrician wanted me to turn my electricity off because he said it was a fire hazard — but what was I supposed to do?

“I had no-where to go and would have been left without any way to cook or heat my house.

“I told him I wasn’t prepared to do it, that I was a pensioner on my own and couldn’t do it and he left saying someone would be up the next day.

“I had to leave the electricity on but because of what he told me I couldn’t sleep and had to sit in the living-room chair at nights in case anything happened.

“How could I do without heat and food, which is what they were effectively telling me to do, when I’m 65 years old and suffer from diabetes and am a chronic asthmatic.

“I couldn’t believe the attitude of the council, they just don’t give a monkey’s about people like me.”

A spokesman for Dundee City Council said the work could not be carried out immediately as it required a joiner as well as an electrician due to the nature of the fault.

He added that a housing officer had visited Mrs Smith yesterday to discuss the situation with her.