A GREAT Harwood war veteran today criticised BT after he was almost forced to sell his medal to pay for the firm to fix his disability panic alarm.

David Aspden, 69, who served in the 1950s Suez Crisis, needs the alarm system to continue living at home because he is partially sighted and has difficulty walking after a serious car accident 10 years ago.

The former tackler, who lives alone in Butts Mount after the death of his wife Agnes, relies on the device to summon help if he falls and is unable to get to the phone.

But he needed to fix the device, which is connected to a BT phoneline, so contacted the telecommunications giant.

He said BT demanded £145 to put it right -- even though he only needed a £5 part to fix the problem.

However BT today claimed it was looking into the problem and has launched an investigation into how Mr Aspden was dealt with.

Luckily, after writing to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph about his plight Blackburn builder Phil Kernot came forward to replace a faulty connection box for Mr Aspden.

But the disabled pensioner today said he was still annoyed at the telecommunications giant. He said: "I thought I was losing my hearing as well as my sight when BT told me how much.

"I was disgusted. I told her you can get them from B&Q for less than £5 and that I needed it because if I fell and had a bad do I couldn't get to the phone.

"She said it was just one of those things and that she was sorry."

Mr Aspden rang BT after his panic alarm's white connection box became faulty. He was originally given the alarm system by Hyndburn Council, along with other pensioners in the borough.

But after being told how much the work would cost he picked up his pen and wrote to the Telegraph to let people know he would have to sell off his medal to pay for it.

"I was so angry I decided to write to the Telegraph but I didn't think anything was going to come of it. I certainly didn't think Mr Kernot would come forward to help," he said.

Mr Kernot, 39, of Laxey Road, Blackburn, was so angered by what he read that he sprung into action. He said: "I thought it was bad how he was treated so I thought I would step in. It would not cost me that much, less than a fiver.

"I think the way that pensioners are treated is dreadful. They put their lives on the line for this country and this is how we repay them."

BT press officer Emma Tennant said: "It is not clear how the figure quoted to Mr Aspden was arrived at but an approximate figure for a similar BT alarm system is just under £150.

"We are contacting Mr Aspden nevertheless to clarify the situation with him."