Home turned into 'danger' zone

A Black Country couple are distraught after a plumber turned their home into a "danger" zone and ruined their wallpaper and carpets.

The catalogue of disasters included installing gas pipes in the wrong place, flooding two rooms, drilling a hole through the living room ceiling, slashing the carpet and ripping wallpaper.

The workman was employed by Connaught, contractor for Sandwell Council, and has since been sacked. Connaught have apologised to the couple and promised to rectify all the problems at their Smethwick home.

Donna Jordan and Darren Wharton, who have a six-year-old son, said the plumber also caused a gas leak in the kitchen.

He then failed to connect a radiator before switching on the central heating, flooding two rooms and ruining the carpets.

Hairdresser Donna said: "It's been awful. Our house has been trashed and although they've taken responsibility for the damage, we understand it may take at least a year to put it all right. We are afraid it's going to ruin our Christmas."

Darren said the couple were horrified to find a main gasline had been installed where the pipe was constantly knocked when the living room door was opened.

"I thought it was a danger. The first plumber said there was nothing wrong with it – thankfully a Sandwell Homes inspector agreed with us," he said.

Sandwell Homes spokesman Dominic Stanley confirmed that the plumber had been sacked.

He added: "Reimbursement has been agreed with Connaught. There was a misunderstanding about the timing of the repair work but that now has been undertaken. It was agreed that the original work was not up to standard and a Connaught representative has apologised in person."

A spokesman for Connaught was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.