A 73-year-old cancer sufferer is pledging to fight Richmond Housing Partnership over a £11,000 bill for work carried out on his block of flats.

Bob Axton has been a leaseholder on the flat in Moore Close, East Sheen, for six years. For the last two, the housing company have been carrying out work which they say will "bring all of our homes up to a modern standard".

However, Mr Axton is adamant the work was unnecessary and so under the terms of his lease he does not have to pay. "They asked me to pay and I refused on two grounds, I think the work is outside the scope of the lease and it has not been completed," explained Mr Axton, who had a heart operation 18 months ago.

He has been issued with a court summons demanding £11,225 and £250 in costs. But the pensioner with no income refuses to use his savings to pay.

"Flexible payment terms are no good to me because I am not working," he said in response to an RHP statement saying these had been offered. "All payments will have to be made within a year, or there will be interest to pay."

Mr Axton accepts that leaks in the roof needed mending, but believes the installation of new doors and windows was not necessary.

Despite assurances from RHP that the work has been completed, Mr Axton claims skirting boards have been left unfixed and blinds have not been re-hung. He now claims that RHP are not responding to his letters.

A spokesman for RHP said: "We have carried out refurbishment works at Moore Close as part of our programme to bring all of our homes up to a modern standard. At Moore Close we have carried out necessary works including a new roof, upgraded door entry systems, rewiring and new windows.

"Mr Axton's lease clearly states that we have a duty to maintain our properties and as a leaseholder he has an obligation to contribute towards the cost. The major refurbishment was completed in September 2002 and Mr Axton was issued with a bill for his share of the cost, which he has refused to pay.

"We have offered him a variety of flexible repayment terms.

"We visited Mr Axton on February 3. Mr Axton said that he refused to pay the bill. We explained that this left us with no option but to issue him with a court summons, which we have done."