A TERMINALLY ill Flintshire woman was left without power for her life-support for 48 hours.

Denise McKessy, 72, was without power all weekend after Storm Arwen - despite requiring breathing support from a machine.

Denise, from Northop Hall, is Stage 4 COPD and is reliant on oxygen support and other vital equipment, such as a nebuliser.

Denise's daughter, Lisa, told the Leader: "We phoned Scottish Power on Saturday who said it was too dangerous to send their engineers out, and instead instructed us to ring for an ambulance."

If it hadn't been for Mold-based company KMA Hire, which stepped in to provide an emergency generator for Denise, she would have likely lost her life.

Lisa said: "I felt really let down by Scottish Power - to have an extremely vulnerable person left to fend for herself is unacceptable.

"But community spirit shone through and through the power of Facebook we were able to get help. A huge thank you to KMA Hire for their life-saving intervention."

Lisa said "without a doubt" her mother would have died without the generator being provided.

Lisa, alongside her friend Lynne Chick, hosts the Loose Ladies show on Radio Deeside. After discussing the issue while on air, she has been inundated with messages from families of people who had similar experiences.

One elderly Flintshire lady was without power throughout Saturday and Sunday - and she had no way of contacting people. She was forced to sit in her chair throughout the night.

A Scottish Power spokesperson said: “Over the weekend, Storm Arwen brought winds of over 90mph and, as a result, has caused some of the worst damage to our network we have experienced in over 15 years.

“We apologise to all of our customers who have been affected by the damage, we understand the inconvenience this has caused many households."