Hebburn couple ban builders after facing months of housing hell

James and Sharon Wynne say workers have left a trail of destruction in their home.

Fed-up James and Sharon Wynne, who live in Monkton Hall, Hebburn, with their three childen, say that they have plagued by delays and problem jobs since South Tyneside Homes launched a Decent Homes overhaul of properties in the area in January.

The work - which included a replacement roof and new windows - was due to be completed in just three months but has dragged on for double the time.

Decent Homes work has caused a hole lot of bother.

Mrs Wynne, 42, says a new front door was cracked after being screwed on too tight, a new bedroom window was smashed and, this week, “gaping holes” were left in the roof of their home - leaving the family exposed to the elements.

Mrs Wynne says she has now banned contractors, claiming they have left her home in a worse state than when they started.

South Tyneside Council has apologised to the couple and will seek to ensure future work from contractors meets their ‘high standards’.

Mrs Wynne said; “It has been absolute hell. I said enough was enough when they did some insulation work on the roof and knocked three gaping holes in the roof.

“My husband stayed up all night worrying that we would be flooded if it started raining.”

She added: “We were told this work was to bring our home up to a better standard but it is in a worse state than when they started.”

Mrs Wynne says she and James, 48, are refusing to let the workers back in to their home for fear they will leave another trail of destruction.

She added; “We are refusing to let them back in. Every job they have done has gone wrong.”

A spokesman for South Tyneside Homes said: “We apologise to Mr and Mrs Wynne and other residents on this site who have experienced delays during Decent Homes work to their properties.

“The improvements have taken longer than anticipated due to a number of structural design issues which only became apparent once work had begun. We are also keen to ensure that the quality of work carried out by contractors meets our high standards.

“We are doing all we can to complete the work as quickly and with as little disruption as possible and we thank the residents for their patience.”