BEING without gas in temperatures as low as -6ºC is a recipe for misery.

So it was heartening to see how the support services quickly sprang into action when more than 100 people were left without heating in Marsden overnight.

Kirklees Council set up an emergency centre in the village to help residents with hot food and drinks and its Wellbeing Integration Team went knocking on doors to make sure people were all right.

Many readers probably didn’t even know such a team existed until yesterday but will now be assured help and support is there if something similar ever happens to them.

And British Gas staff were swiftly out and about with portable heaters while engineers worked tirelessly to sort the problem out.

Both organisations come in for what some may think is more than their fair share of criticism.

But they both deserve praise for their quick and prompt action yesterday.