An 82-year-old is furious after discovering she signed a contract to switch electricity suppliers without realising.

Gwen Payne, of Littlehampton, complained twice and waited almost two weeks before the contract was cancelled.

She was alone in her house when a salesman from London Electric came to her door about two weeks ago.

She said she believed the man was working for her original supplier, British Gas, and signed a form which she thought would give her more information about lower gas and electricity prices.

However, when her neighbour almost signed the same agreement, she realised it was a contract agreeing to switch her supply.

Neighbour Doug Kennedy intervened when his wife was about to sign a similar agreement and stopped her.

Mrs Payne said: "He came round and asked me if I had signed the contract and it was then that I suddenly realised what I'd done.

"I couldn't see the salesman's identification tag clearly because it was quite dark.

"I was so frightened when Doug told me that I'd signed a contract.

"I've lived on my own since the summer when my husband died and I didn't know what to do."

Mrs Payne contacted British Gas, who told her she would have to get London Electric to cancel the contract before she could resume her account with them.

She said: "I phoned London Electric and blew my top. It was quite brave for me.

"They said I'd have to write a letter but it took almost two weeks for it all to be resolved.

"It's very worrying for people like me. You read a lot about this type of thing in the newspapers and it's just not right."

A spokesman for London Electric said that Mrs Payne's supply would not be switched and the contract had been cancelled.

He said: "We have identified the salesman responsible and an investigation is going on.

"We have extremely strict guidelines for our sales staff and, if they deviate from that, they are obviously disciplined or, in extreme cases, dismissed.

"It isn't in our interests or the customers' interests for this kind of practice to occur. That's why we are taking Mrs Payne's complaint so seriously."