0:00:00 > 0:00:05Hello, I'm Lucy Owen in Dolgellau. I'm Rhodri Owen in Cardiff. You're
0:00:05 > 0:00:14watching X-Ray. On tonight's programme - Linda's driveway's in a
0:00:14 > 0:00:17right state. Why won't the builder talk to me? Just a quick question
0:00:17 > 0:00:21regarding the driveway. Rats are making life a misery for the
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Merediths in Hengoed. Why can't Caerphilly Council sort it out?
0:00:25 > 0:00:35problem sofas. SCS says this one's only for casual sitting, what do
0:00:35 > 0:00:44
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Hello! Well, here in Dolgellau I'll be on the town's sports pitch later
0:00:47 > 0:00:57on finding out why the local dog population are causing problems for
0:00:57 > 0:00:57
0:00:57 > 0:01:01the town's rugby and football teams. I bet you can guess what I am
0:01:01 > 0:01:07talking about. But first, Rhod's been to meet the residents of a
0:01:08 > 0:01:12street in the Rhymney Valley who've In this house, high in the Rhymney
0:01:12 > 0:01:20Valley, live Leanne Meredith, her husband and two young children. But
0:01:20 > 0:01:25it is not a happy house, something Their home and quite a lot of this
0:01:25 > 0:01:29entire street is infested with rats and has been for some time. In fact,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32they've been living in this house, on and off, for 10 months. And all
0:01:32 > 0:01:42this time they've been keeping the family awake, scratching and
0:01:42 > 0:01:42
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Mum! I can hear the rats again. Because this is where the rats have
0:01:46 > 0:01:50nested, deep in the insulation. The vermin have produced so much urine
0:01:50 > 0:01:56it's soaked through and stained the ceiling below. So this is Jamie's
0:01:56 > 0:01:59room? What are the tell tale signs here of the rats? As you can see
0:01:59 > 0:02:03there's a yellow stain across the ceiling from the rat urine.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08urine? That is absolutely disgusting. It's literally coming
0:02:08 > 0:02:13through from the loft. That's obviously, completely unhygienic as
0:02:13 > 0:02:19well, not good for anybody. But in the bathroom, it gets worse,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22they've had maggots and flies. So Leanne, what happened in here?
0:02:22 > 0:02:27had a horrific smell in the bathroom of a dead rodent which was
0:02:27 > 0:02:33confirmed by a pest control officer. We had maggots actually on the
0:02:33 > 0:02:37carpet, really. We had flies everywhere. We had to rip all the
0:02:37 > 0:02:40floorboards up, take the casing of this here, the waste pipe. It was
0:02:40 > 0:02:44just horrific. The law is very strict when it
0:02:44 > 0:02:48comes to rats and mice. All local authorities have a duty to keep
0:02:48 > 0:02:52their district free of infestation and with good reason. Rats can
0:02:52 > 0:03:00cause all sorts of terrible infections, sometimes they're fatal.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04OK, I'm going to take a quick look. Here in the insulation the
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Merediths have found tunnels the rats use to get around. And the
0:03:08 > 0:03:12council has left a trap and a tray full of deadly poison. Right, well,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I didn't see any rats but there was a very bad smell, it's hard to
0:03:15 > 0:03:19express quite how vile it is and that's what they're living with
0:03:19 > 0:03:24everyday. The Merediths first noticed something strange in May
0:03:24 > 0:03:28last year. Leanne's got photos of the rat's droppings in the loft
0:03:28 > 0:03:33insulation to show me. It must have been such a shock for
0:03:33 > 0:03:36you. What did you do? Well, this is a council house, so we notified the
0:03:36 > 0:03:41council, the landlord, and asked them for help. But that was 10
0:03:41 > 0:03:45months ago and the rats are still up there? They sent so many workmen
0:03:45 > 0:03:48here but we've still got rats. fact, lots of men from Caerphilly
0:03:48 > 0:03:58County Borough Council have tried to get rid of the rats. You could
0:03:58 > 0:04:00
0:04:00 > 0:04:03First the council sent two men to check the drains outside. They
0:04:03 > 0:04:13wouldn't even go into the house and told Leanne the family needed a
0:04:13 > 0:04:22Next, the council sent a Pest Control Officer. He could smell a
0:04:22 > 0:04:26rat and he left a trap but he Then a plumber arrived and checked
0:04:26 > 0:04:34the waste pipe. But he told Leanne, you don't want me, you need a
0:04:34 > 0:04:40So a carpenter was sent but he couldn't investigate without a
0:04:40 > 0:04:44plumber but that man had already Six whole days after Leanne first
0:04:44 > 0:04:54called the council, two men climbed into the attic. Leanne heard a
0:04:54 > 0:04:55
0:04:55 > 0:04:58commotion! So, what did they find? They found a huge infestation in
0:04:58 > 0:05:03the attic. There was droppings everywhere, urine everywhere, they
0:05:03 > 0:05:07thought they saw a live rat up there as well. The council removed
0:05:07 > 0:05:11the insulation from the loft and the rats seemed to go away. But six
0:05:11 > 0:05:14months later, they were back, living in the new insulation. The
0:05:14 > 0:05:19council is now trying to tackle the problem again but although the
0:05:19 > 0:05:23poison is working they can't find the dead rats.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28They said the best thing to do is just to leave them until the smell
0:05:28 > 0:05:32goes away or turn on the heating to make them decay quicker. But when
0:05:32 > 0:05:38you put the heating on it obviously amplifies the smell even more. So
0:05:38 > 0:05:41at the moment we're just using air fresheners mask it really. And it's
0:05:41 > 0:05:45not just the Merediths. We've spoken to eight households on the
0:05:45 > 0:05:49small street. Some of them were willing to tell us their tales of
0:05:49 > 0:05:54the vermin that got away. What kind of size are we talking now? We're
0:05:54 > 0:05:57talking, the size of a cat. Really big ones? Yeah, they're big ones.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01They're full in the sewers around here. And the council? Well? Don't
0:06:01 > 0:06:06seem to be doing much about it. it been a long time? Since I've
0:06:06 > 0:06:09been here. I've been here 13, 14 years. Caerphilly Council say
0:06:09 > 0:06:14there's no proof that there's a rat infestation just anecdotal evidence
0:06:14 > 0:06:20from the residents. As well as council tenants there's a private
0:06:20 > 0:06:24tenant too. I've had plenty in the attic, I've got poison in the attic
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and I've got traps. When you say plenty, how many do you mean and
0:06:27 > 0:06:30what are you hearing? Well, I've killed five at the moment. Really?
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And what sort of size are we talking. I'm talking, just under
0:06:35 > 0:06:37kitten size. Really? I've seen the rats out in my garden myself.
0:06:38 > 0:06:46You've seen them. Yeah. And what sort of size are we talking?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48They're about that big. Really? That's not very nice is it.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Ashworth travels South Wales laying traps, baiting and shooting the
0:06:52 > 0:06:56creatures we'd rather not have around. We asked him to investigate
0:06:56 > 0:07:01Hawthorne Avenue. OK, you've had a look around, what are your
0:07:01 > 0:07:04thoughts? There's lots of rodent activity in the area. You've got
0:07:04 > 0:07:07burrows in this embankment here, you've a property down here with
0:07:07 > 0:07:11burrowing activity. There's an alleyway over there and there's
0:07:11 > 0:07:17lots of activity in the loft above the house. Why such a problem for
0:07:17 > 0:07:20so long? There is an awful lot of area for the rats to hide in. Over
0:07:20 > 0:07:24here you have two or three open sewers that regularly flood each
0:07:24 > 0:07:26year so if sewerage can come out then something else can get back in.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30That's potentially giving the rats access to the properties through
0:07:30 > 0:07:35the foundations. What about Caerphilly's response? They
0:07:35 > 0:07:39certainly acted but not in the correct manner. They've not been
0:07:39 > 0:07:42anything like as intrusive as they need to be. They haven't found the
0:07:42 > 0:07:45source of the problem and dealt with accordingly. Only time will
0:07:45 > 0:07:50tell whether Caerphilly Council will ever get rid of the rats on
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Hawthorne Avenue, but it's a day Leanne is longing for. I just want
0:07:54 > 0:07:58a rat free home for my children. A safe home for my children to live
0:07:58 > 0:08:04in. And that really isn't much to ask for in this day and age, is it?
0:08:04 > 0:08:11Do you think it will happen? don't know. I really don't know.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13It's gone on for a long time now. What a situation. Most of the homes
0:08:13 > 0:08:16in that film are owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council
0:08:16 > 0:08:19but, unfortunately, they're not willing to talk to us about the
0:08:19 > 0:08:22situation. They have sent us a statement and they're apologising.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26They say their intervention back in May last year was successful, but
0:08:26 > 0:08:29they're sorry that the rat problem returned. They've now found out how
0:08:29 > 0:08:34the rats are getting into the Meredith family's house and they've
0:08:34 > 0:08:37plugged a hole in this sewage pipe to stop them. Leanne says she's
0:08:37 > 0:08:40been told that the poison in her loft hasn't been touched for a week
0:08:40 > 0:08:43so fingers crossed, the rats might be gone. Sounds like Lucy's
0:08:43 > 0:08:49tackling another nasty problem up in Dolgellau. Lucy. Now, it's
0:08:49 > 0:08:55smelly, disgusting and can cause a right mess. Dog poo is something
0:08:55 > 0:08:58that annoys us all. The problem's so bad on these playing fields in
0:08:58 > 0:09:07Dolgellau that the local sports teams are having to clear it up
0:09:07 > 0:09:16every Saturday morning. I've come to meet some of the players. How
0:09:16 > 0:09:21big a problem is it? It is very bad this year. It is
0:09:21 > 0:09:26nothing Ferness to get 12-15 dog mess before a game which we have to
0:09:26 > 0:09:30clear up. During the game, the game has to be stopped the bout three-
0:09:30 > 0:09:35times for the mess to be cleared up. It is embarrassing for the rugby
0:09:35 > 0:09:41club. It sounds like a horrible problem. Your grandson plays here.
0:09:41 > 0:09:50Yes, one of the biggest problems is one of these kids is injured and
0:09:50 > 0:09:57the mess get into the cut, it could be nasty. As a disabled person you
0:09:57 > 0:10:04can imagine if I inadvertently tread in it, I am on my backside.
0:10:04 > 0:10:12Down I go, you can see the problem. We should put a block as much as we
0:10:12 > 0:10:20can on dogs being let loose to run as they want to. Many thanks. What
0:10:20 > 0:10:24you think the answer could be? do have dog wardens were employed
0:10:24 > 0:10:30by the council on if they could be here and talk to the families and
0:10:30 > 0:10:35if necessary find them. They will have to name and shame them in the
0:10:35 > 0:10:40local newspaper. Maybe the we learn from that quakes because they have
0:10:40 > 0:10:42had. So Dolgellau dog walkers watch out, they'll be watching. And if
0:10:42 > 0:10:44there's anything in your area that's annoying you, please get in
0:10:44 > 0:10:48touch, the details are on the screen now.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Next, if you paid over a thousand pounds for furniture from a well
0:10:50 > 0:10:53known company, you'd expect your purchase to last for years. But
0:10:53 > 0:11:03some unhappy SCS customers have been left bitterly disappointed
0:11:03 > 0:11:10
0:11:10 > 0:11:16Soft comfy sofas. Soft cosy sofas, something like that? Some comfy
0:11:16 > 0:11:19settees. Could it be, Sit Comfortably Stanley? Well, there
0:11:19 > 0:11:23are some X-Ray viewers who've come up with different interpretations
0:11:23 > 0:11:26for what they think SCS stands for. Last October, Chris and Caryn
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Phillips from Carmarthen decided to invest in a sofa which they could
0:11:29 > 0:11:36enjoy for years to come after making do with hand me downs in the
0:11:36 > 0:11:40past. First was from my grandmother, wasn't it? Yeah, and the second one
0:11:40 > 0:11:43then my mum moved and I had hers and she bought a new one.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48decided the time was right to invest in a new sofa, our very
0:11:49 > 0:11:52first new sofa. How did you go about finding your perfect sofa?
0:11:52 > 0:11:56started at the front door and we walked round with the sales man and
0:11:56 > 0:12:02we sat on every one. This is the sofa then? That is the sofa.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05this is in the store. That's you trying them all out then is it?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08This is quite unusual, what's that about? It's what they call a cuddle
0:12:08 > 0:12:12sofa. Cuddle sofa, where you can cwtch up into it.
0:12:12 > 0:12:20Chris and Caryn bought their suite here at SCS Trostre in Llanelli. It
0:12:20 > 0:12:24cost over �2,000 - not exactly a The sofa Chris and Caryn had chosen
0:12:24 > 0:12:31even featured in an SCS ad, but it didn't live up to the dream they'd
0:12:31 > 0:12:34been sold. Show me what's wrong. It's very
0:12:34 > 0:12:41dipped down yeah, and if you look underneath it, this just seems so
0:12:42 > 0:12:46slack and you can feel the wooden base of it. So what's it like when
0:12:46 > 0:12:52you sit on it, can you show me? You're basically sinking right into
0:12:52 > 0:13:02it. It's not a natural position to sit in. The one in the shop your
0:13:02 > 0:13:02
0:13:02 > 0:13:08legs were level with the floor. You don't look comfortable at all.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Not really the cosy cuddle you were looking forward to. Not at all.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17Chris and Caryn contacted SCS who sent an upholsterer to check the
0:13:17 > 0:13:20sofa, but he said there was no fault with it. It's got to the
0:13:20 > 0:13:23point where we're too afraid to sit on it because you're sat on the
0:13:23 > 0:13:33floor. $$WHITEOh, that's ok, it's really disappointing and there's
0:13:33 > 0:13:33
0:13:34 > 0:13:38No. I sent them another letter saying we've taken photos of the
0:13:38 > 0:13:46one in the shop. They say it's the design of the sofa and there's
0:13:46 > 0:13:55nothing we're going to do about it. So what do Chris and Caryn think
0:13:55 > 0:13:59SCS stands for? Saggy Cuddle Sofa. Seriously Crummy Settee. Over at
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Llanedeyrn in Cardiff there's another unhappy SCS customer.
0:14:02 > 0:14:09Cheryl Brekke paid almost �1,000 for her suite, which she bought
0:14:09 > 0:14:14from SCS Cardiff Gate in April 2010. We wanted something that was
0:14:15 > 0:14:18manageable to use, that didn't need a lot of attention. Something that
0:14:18 > 0:14:24was going to last us the framework because I've got five children and
0:14:24 > 0:14:28because I'm big myself I wanted something quite sturdy. But Cheryl
0:14:28 > 0:14:38didn't get the low maintenance sofa she wanted. To keep her furniture
0:14:38 > 0:14:39
0:14:39 > 0:14:49looking good there's a regime she Obviously there's some days I'm not
0:14:49 > 0:14:53
0:14:53 > 0:14:56able to do it myself because I And you do that about, well every
0:14:56 > 0:15:01morning I do it, and evening, and we do it about four or five times
0:15:01 > 0:15:06through the day. And the frame has had to be repaired under warranty,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09but Cheryl says the problems have been on-going. They've been to
0:15:09 > 0:15:17repair it, for about the fourth or fifth time, and it's still not
0:15:17 > 0:15:20right, it's not 100%. All the sagging material at the back, the
0:15:20 > 0:15:29frame's coming through, it's not what you expect from a sofa that's
0:15:29 > 0:15:3418 months old. So what does Cheryl think SCS stands for? Sat Collapsed
0:15:34 > 0:15:43Shocked! Last January, Tracey Evans from the Rhondda chose two three-
0:15:43 > 0:15:48seater recliner sofas from SCS Cardiff Gate. She paid over �1,500.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Why the recliners? If you're going to watch TV you should do it in
0:15:51 > 0:15:55comfort! But when the sofas arrived, Tracey could have been forgiven for
0:15:55 > 0:16:00thinking someone was playing a joke on her. They were delivered on
0:16:00 > 0:16:02April 1st last year and from day one they've never worked. Tracey
0:16:02 > 0:16:05contacted SCS, who sent representatives out to try and fix
0:16:05 > 0:16:15the mechanism on a number of occasions, but months later her
0:16:15 > 0:16:20
0:16:20 > 0:16:24recliners still don't work properly. When the engineer comes and I say
0:16:24 > 0:16:28they don't work, he sits there and he jerks the sofa and jerks it, and
0:16:28 > 0:16:32it's fine. I don't want to have to go through that process every time
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I want to put my feet up. Do that with a cup of tea in one hand,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39doing that jerking motion and end up scalding myself, so obviously
0:16:39 > 0:16:42not ideal. Do you feel they value you as a customer? No, not at all.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I feel once they've got your money you're put to one side then, they
0:16:45 > 0:16:49don't care. As far as Tracey's concerned, SCS means? Shoddy
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Customer Service. In case you're wondering, we've asked SCS what
0:16:53 > 0:16:56their name stands for and they say it used to stand for Suite CentreS,
0:16:56 > 0:17:06but as they've branched out recently, it now means Sofa Carpet
0:17:06 > 0:17:12
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Specialist. Well, I think some of their customers might disagree?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Well, SCS tell us Chris and Caryn's cuddle sofa sofa is designed with a
0:17:18 > 0:17:21casual sit in mind - whatever that means! They claim the couple could
0:17:21 > 0:17:24have paid more and had a foam cushion, but Chris says they
0:17:24 > 0:17:28weren't offered that and insists they thought the one they bought
0:17:28 > 0:17:30would be identical to the one they tried in the shop. SCS are in the
0:17:30 > 0:17:33process of repairing Tracey's faulty recliner and will be
0:17:33 > 0:17:37contacting Cheryl to look into the problems she's had. So what can you
0:17:37 > 0:17:45do if your sofa's not up to scratch - did you know there's a Furniture
0:17:45 > 0:17:53Ombudsman who can help? Kevin, that's you! So when can you step
0:17:53 > 0:17:59in? What do you do? We have a code of practice and if there is a
0:17:59 > 0:18:05problem we can look at it and make sure everyone gets a fair deal.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08there anything you could have done for these people. While most of the
0:18:08 > 0:18:12biggest retailers do sign up for the ombudsman, SCS don't. So the
0:18:12 > 0:18:18only thing we could do is provide an independent inspection report.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23They can use that to decide whether they have a legitimate complaint.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27So the advice is to try and buy somebody that is registered to
0:18:27 > 0:18:32you'res? Yes, check the ombudsman web-site first and then understand
0:18:32 > 0:18:39who our members are and shop from there. How many members do you
0:18:39 > 0:18:49have? We have about 4,000. One last thing. Can you make head nor tail
0:18:49 > 0:18:54
0:18:54 > 0:19:04of what SSC are saying. The most important phrase this a the sofa is
0:19:04 > 0:19:10
0:19:10 > 0:19:13fit for purpose and o' of satisfactory quality. Next, Lucy's
0:19:13 > 0:19:16sorting out a problem in for a family in Swansea. Maria Hamilton
0:19:16 > 0:19:18from Swansea thought redeveloping a property would give her young
0:19:18 > 0:19:23family the perfect home - that was until huge electricity bills
0:19:23 > 0:19:31started to arrive. British Gas has charged us thousands of pounds for
0:19:31 > 0:19:38a property we've never lived in. I'm on the case. With an expanding
0:19:38 > 0:19:42family Maria and husband Mark bought a new home in May 2009.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48knew it was going to take a while to renovate the house but it was
0:19:48 > 0:19:52the right decision to buy that house we love it. So it was a long
0:19:52 > 0:20:01term plan? Yes, my husband works abroad so it was difficult for me
0:20:01 > 0:20:04to do it with the baby. Very difficult to do it. Maria, Mark and
0:20:04 > 0:20:10their two children have never lived in the house, so the electricity
0:20:10 > 0:20:19bills from British Gas should have been low. We agreed to pay �40 a
0:20:19 > 0:20:22month. Nobody living in the house, for us it was a good deal. British
0:20:22 > 0:20:30Gas fitted a new meter, but that didn't cause any problems then a
0:20:30 > 0:20:35year later in September 2010 - the bill doubled. Suddenly we started
0:20:35 > 0:20:41paying �86 per month. We were concerned because no one was living
0:20:41 > 0:20:45in the house. There was no way we could be using all that electricity.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50Maria complained to British Gas who tested the meter. A fault was
0:20:50 > 0:21:00eventually found and a replacement meter was installed. So you had the
0:21:00 > 0:21:02
0:21:02 > 0:21:05new meter fitted, was that the end of the problem? Not at all - then
0:21:05 > 0:21:09we had this bill of �380 per month, we couldn't believe. Alarmed by
0:21:09 > 0:21:12this huge increase - Maria's spent months complaining. But British Gas
0:21:12 > 0:21:17wouldn't explain why the family had now paid more than �3,000 in
0:21:17 > 0:21:21electricity charges in just over a year. It's incredibly frustrating
0:21:21 > 0:21:28for us. We're not getting any help from anyone at all. You can call as
0:21:28 > 0:21:31much as you want but no help at all. So Maria what would you like me to
0:21:31 > 0:21:36do? I'd like you to get my money back and an apology from British
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Gas. Maria. I'm on the case. Maria's struggling to resolve her
0:21:41 > 0:21:45complaint, so could she have done anything differently? She did
0:21:45 > 0:21:50complain to British Gas, but when they failed to sort out the problem,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52she could have gone to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombusman will look
0:21:52 > 0:21:57at complaints about energy companies, but only if they've
0:21:57 > 0:22:00already had eight weeks to sort it out. It's interesting that last
0:22:00 > 0:22:04year more than two thirds of cases ended with customers getting
0:22:04 > 0:22:07refunds. British Gas say in Maria's case they've been sending estimated
0:22:07 > 0:22:13bills that were unfortunately based on readings from a faulty meter
0:22:13 > 0:22:16that they changed. They've apologised for taking so long to
0:22:16 > 0:22:18sort out the Hamilton's billing issue and say they will refund what
0:22:18 > 0:22:28the family are owed since the faulty meter was installed in
0:22:28 > 0:22:38September 2009. We've had a cheque for �2,500 and a credit of �400 in
0:22:38 > 0:22:38
0:22:38 > 0:22:43our electricity account. And that's another case closed! Almost �3,000
0:22:43 > 0:22:46back there for Maria and the family, a really great result. Now, last
0:22:46 > 0:22:56week we looked at the problem of metal theft, well some more of you
0:22:56 > 0:22:57
0:22:57 > 0:22:59have been in touch on. RCT People First is a charity for people with
0:22:59 > 0:23:03learning disabilities in Porth - they've tweeted to tell us they've
0:23:03 > 0:23:06had lead stolen from their roof. And Ian Emery who's also from Porth
0:23:06 > 0:23:09tweeted to say drain covers are being pinched there all the time
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and he nearly came a cropper on his bike. If you've got anything you'd
0:23:12 > 0:23:15like to say about this week's stories, please do get in touch!
0:23:15 > 0:23:25Next, Rhod's in Newport to find out why one woman's driveway is
0:23:25 > 0:23:27
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Looking good is very important to Linda Vokes so when it came to
0:23:30 > 0:23:34laying a new driveway she was prepared to pay extra for something
0:23:34 > 0:23:37a little bit special. But what she got has left her feeling very let
0:23:37 > 0:23:43down. Because although the drive came with the promise of a long
0:23:43 > 0:23:50life, all is far from well. So I've come to meet Linda to find out
0:23:50 > 0:23:55what's gone wrong? Linda, hello there, how are you doing? Hello
0:23:55 > 0:24:05Rhodri, I'm fine thanks. Good, good. Nice to see you, nice to see you.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So this is it? This is the drive. Pretty? Disintegrating as we speak.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15No, it's the wall, the coping stones, and the walls further down
0:24:15 > 0:24:18as well. Tell you what, we'll go inside, you can dry off and tell me
0:24:18 > 0:24:21all about it. OK. Linda employed Newport builder Les Thomas at
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Christmas in 2008 to lay the new driveway and erect two walls for
0:24:25 > 0:24:2835,600. Because it went down right in the middle of winter when frost
0:24:28 > 0:24:31was a danger, Les should have covered it while it set. But we've
0:24:31 > 0:24:35been told he might not have done because by September 2009 holes
0:24:35 > 0:24:39were already starting to appear. Linda got on the phone. So what was
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Les' response? Well, it took a while to get him to come over. He
0:24:42 > 0:24:46was very slow to respond to my calls, but we eventually got him
0:24:46 > 0:24:49over here and he said it was nothing to worry about - he'd sort
0:24:49 > 0:24:52it? You must have been pleased with that? Pleased that he'd come out,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55thinking, well it won't get any worse, now he's dealt with it, but
0:24:55 > 0:24:59it did deteriorate quite rapidly and then I called again and again
0:24:59 > 0:25:04and again and eventually we got him over and he said I'll put it right
0:25:04 > 0:25:07when the weather's good and when I can fit you in. But even when nice
0:25:07 > 0:25:11weather came the builder was still absent and the holes in the
0:25:11 > 0:25:15driveway were getting bigger and bigger. When Les failed to fix the
0:25:15 > 0:25:20drive Linda got two quotes from other builders to find out how much
0:25:20 > 0:25:22the repairs were going to cost - an eye-watering �4,000. So what was
0:25:22 > 0:25:30your reaction to getting those quotes? Disgusted, disappointed,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34very upset, not only with the work, but with the man himself! Every
0:25:34 > 0:25:39time I go to the car or come in and out of the house I think, why did
0:25:39 > 0:25:44we bother? $YELLOW Sick and tired of waiting, Linda took Les to court
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- and won. The judge ordered him to pay to put the work right - a total
0:25:48 > 0:25:52of �4,000. So you won the court case, they said you can get the
0:25:52 > 0:25:57money off him, what have you got back? And what have you got off
0:25:57 > 0:26:00him? Nothing, no contact, nothing all. Not a penny. Nothing at all?
0:26:00 > 0:26:05Nothing at all. How would you describe the way Les has treated
0:26:05 > 0:26:08you? Upsetting, disappointing, we're gutted, basically. A building
0:26:08 > 0:26:14expert we consulted told us that it's the concrete used on Linda's
0:26:14 > 0:26:18driveway that's caused these problems. Here at Coleg Gwent, I'm
0:26:18 > 0:26:22meeting a man who knows all there is to know about the stuff, Linden
0:26:22 > 0:26:27Jones. So what should Les have considered? Anything in particular
0:26:27 > 0:26:31for a drive in the middle of winter? Additives can be added to
0:26:31 > 0:26:34concrete to help prevent that but one thing you can do to prevent
0:26:34 > 0:26:43surface attack on the surface of concrete is to protect it with some
0:26:43 > 0:26:48sort of insulation ideally hessian. The experts here make mixing
0:26:48 > 0:26:51concrete seem pretty straightforward. So what went wrong
0:26:51 > 0:26:54with Les's mix? Well we've been asking him about that and about
0:26:54 > 0:27:04Linda's money for weeks, but he's not answering any questions. Time
0:27:04 > 0:27:09to pay him a visit. Mr Thomas, we're from X ray, a question
0:27:09 > 0:27:14regarding Linda Vokes' drive way. I'm sorting it out. Why haven't you
0:27:14 > 0:27:18paid her the money. I haven't had the money. I shall pay in due
0:27:18 > 0:27:26course. Would you like to say something to Linda. No. No, nothing
0:27:26 > 0:27:29at all to say. Nothing at all. Nothing to say. Well if we hear
0:27:29 > 0:27:32anymore from Les Thomas, we'll let you know. That's all we've got time
0:27:32 > 0:27:37for this week - next week we're reporting on those companies who
0:27:37 > 0:27:40ring up and offer to claim back insurance money for you. Well we've
0:27:40 > 0:27:43already heard from quite a few of you about dog poo in your area.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Victoria Greenfield says: "I wish you'd come to Dinas Powys. I think
0:27:47 > 0:27:50it's the worst place for dog poo being left on the pavement I've
0:27:50 > 0:27:53ever seen" Whilst Lee Waters tweeted to say if dog poo is what
0:27:53 > 0:27:56you want, Barry Island is where you should come. We have quite a
0:27:56 > 0:28:00collection up on Nell's Point. And according to Sarah Parsons - it's a
0:28:00 > 0:28:03problem on the Richard Burton trail in Cwmavon. When she's on her bike