Safe Local Trades member comes to the rescue of cowboy builder victim

NOT all superheroes wear capes – as long-standing Safe Local Trades member Steve Deprez proved when he came to the rescue of a victim of a cowboy builder.

Stanground-based builder Steve, described by the customer he helped as a ‘knight in shining armour’, dedicated every Saturday morning for six months to rectify the shoddy work of rogue traders.

Distraught Sawtry woman Leanne Lambert was conned out of £28,000 for work on a barn / workshop conversion that was left unfinished and in a dangerous state.

Family bereavement and personal illness further added to Leanne’s misery, until – she says – Steve came along and saved the day and helped fulfil the dream of a beautiful barn and family business. 

Steve was first alerted to Leanne’s building nightmare on social media. He said: “I couldn’t believe what I saw and read and felt sad and angry in equal measures that someone could do this.

“I made contact with Leanne and offered my services free of charge, while using my own contacts to negotiate cost price and even free materials. Losing such a huge amount of money to someone you trust to do the job you pay for is heartbreaking.”

The home improvement company Leanne used demanded payment up front, but the tradesman disappeared – with her money – after doing only a fraction of the work.

This work was so unstable, that when Steve came to assess it, the whole structure needed taking down and the project had to be started from scratch.

Steve began by demolishing what had already been (badly) started and step by step working with his own trusted trades contacts and Leanne’s neighbours to give Leanne and her family the barn / workshop they dreamt of.

Leanne explained: “Steve came to our rescue after a rogue trader took our money and didn’t complete the job they were paid to do. On hearing about our situation, Steve offered his services free of charge – arriving bright and early every Saturday morning for six months – knocking down the dangerous shell left by the cowboy builder then constructing us a brand-new barn/ workshop. 

“He contacted local companies explaining our situation and negotiating cost prices on all the materials we needed.”

Despite many months of personal and financial misery for Leanne and her family, the work is now complete to a safe and professional standard, and she couldn’t be happier. Leanne added: “Steve’s work is impeccable, and nothing was ever too much trouble. I honestly didn’t know that tradesman like Steve existed; someone who was willing to give so much time to a family he had never met and provide such high-quality workmanship as well. A true knight in shining armour.”

And the happy ending continues, with Leanne’s daughter Ellie having recently opened her long-awaited gift shop ‘The Holly Bell Barn’.

Eileen Le Voi, director of Safe Local Trades said: “Members like Steve are the very essence of Safe Local Trades. My heart goes out to Leanne and her family for the horrendous experience they had been through.”

“My advice to anyone looking for home improvement or other works at their property or in their garden is to get references, research the company or individual, work with them to agree in writing a payment plan if necessary and above all don’t part with your cash if you aren’t 100 per cent happy.”

“I cannot reinforce enough the message to only used tried and tested tradespeople – and NEVER to be pressured into agreeing to works suggested by doorstep builders and even more so, handing over cash if you are unhappy with the finished work.”

For a tradesperson in your area visit www.safelocaltrades.com

Safe Local Trades has been championing consumers for over 16 years, and one of its target areas is raising awareness of rogue traders and cowboy builders – highlighting its commitment through its partnership with The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Against Scams Partnership (CAPASP), a county-wide partnership of public, private and voluntary sector organisations committed to working together to stop scams and crime across the county.