Vicar goes viral after naming and shaming Northampton fuel company for leaving church-goers in the cold

Reverend rages over '14 phone calls and 10 hours on hold' to oil firm's Brixworth depot
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A Northampton firm which supplies heating oil is under fire from a warm-hearted vicar who took social media by storm after poor service left her church too chilly.

Reverand Gill Barrow-Jones spent three weeks trying to get a delivery of oil from Watson Fuels depot at Brixworth.

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But the oil never arrived and the historic St George the Martyr Church in Wolverton, Milton Keynes got colder and colder.

Rev Gill Barrow-Jones named and shamed Watson Fuels after leaving her church freezing ahead of the Bishop's visit.Rev Gill Barrow-Jones named and shamed Watson Fuels after leaving her church freezing ahead of the Bishop's visit.
Rev Gill Barrow-Jones named and shamed Watson Fuels after leaving her church freezing ahead of the Bishop's visit.

Rev Barrow-Jones said: "It was absolutely freezing, people needed to wear hats and gloves.

"The worst thing was when we had a funeral. It's not a nice time for people anyway, without making them shiver with cold through the service."

By last week Gill reached the end of her tether and posted a photo of herself on the church Facebook page, holding a notice explaining the effect the lack of heating was having on her parishioners.

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It read: "Funeral family: COLD. Sunday worshippers: COLD. Town band rehearsal: COLD. Ash Wednesday Penitents. COLD; Bishop of Buckingham: COLD?"

The final question mark was because the Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Wilson, was booked to visit the church on Sunday to ordain its new assistant Minister Chibuzor Okpala.

Gill's Facebook post named and shamed the oil company, adding: "14 phone calls and 10 hours on hold, I still have a cold church.

"For over three weeks I have been asking Watson Fuels to bring the oil we need to heat our church. They don’t seem to care. I’m at my wits end; I feel embarrassed.

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"As a vicar it’s hard to point the finger and lay blame, but I hold Watson's responsible.

"I want the people of Wolverton and our community for whom the church is theirs to hold Watson's to account by sharing this shameful story on their social media. I’m at my wits end, Watson Fuels."

The post went viral with more than 8,000 views.

Gill said a Watson Fuels director contacted her personally and was "very apologetic" but within hours another company, Bedford Fuels, came to the rescue with a special delivery.

This newspaper spent much of Monday (March 14) attempting to contact Watson Fuels by phone and email to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. We have so far heard nothing despite promises somebody from the company would call back.

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