A PENSIONER claims he has been "ripped off" by the Cotswold housing association whose chief executive was given a hefty salary boost this year.

Roy Holden was furious when the Standard revealed that the chief executive of the Bromford Group, which owns Fosseway Living in Cirencester, received a 9.8 percent salary increase this year.

Since Bromford took over Fosseway, Mr Holden, who is 79 and lives off his pension, says he has seen his bills spiral out of control.

He owns his flat in Lavender Lane but says he is being charged for work that is not his responsibility.

For ten years, from 1998 to 2008, Mr Holden paid a total of £416 for insurance, land rent and minor repairs to Fosseway.

But between March and October this year he had already paid £327.19 and has bills which total thousands.

On April 22 last year he was sent a bill for £1,465.72 for work he said was nothing to do with him.

Fosseway billed him for new roof tiles when he does not have tiles on his flat roof.

They also said they had done work to a timber fascia board and fence that Mr Holden said does not exist.

"I am being ripped off and these people are out to get every penny that they can," he said.

"All this money that they are trying to get is going into the chief executive’s pocket – and I am a pensioner for goodness sake – I want to be left in peace."

A Bromford Group spokesman said Mr Holden was responsible for costs relating to maintenance and repair of the block.

He was sent a letter from the financial services manager in October to explain his bills.

She said: "There remain a few outstanding queries from Mr Holden that we are currently investigating. We will be contacting him with the outcome as soon as possible.

"We can confirm that we currently have no invoices outstanding for Mr Holden and are not chasing him for any payments."