More than 700,000 people in England and Wales lack central heating, ONS figures show

Each year there are 10,000 excess deaths on average from cold and damp homes

More than 700,000 people in England and Wales lack central heating in their homes this winter, new figures show.

This equates to 367,000 households that are not using gas or electricity to warm their homes, data collated by the Office of National Statistics revealed.

Each year there are about 10,000 excess deaths on average from cold and damp homes, and charities have warned that it is often elderly people who have to live in these inadequate properties.