I was woken up by gas company trashing my garden without warning – they smashed treasure memento
A FURIOUS pensioner has been left trapped inside his own home after bungling workmen dug a trench in his garden and driveway.
Frank Farmer, 67, was woken up to the sound of diggers tearing up the lawn and patio outside his home in the village of Claines near Worcester on May 26.
Contractors told the retired police officer they were searching for old pipes which needed replacing for Cadent Gas.
Frank said: “There was a large trench around my house trapping me inside.”
Frank, who has lived in the house his whole life, watched in horror as workmen used a sledgehammer to smash up flag stones his dad had laid in the 1960s – causing £1,600 in damage.
He said: “In front of my garage I had a series of flag stones that my father put down years ago and they just smashed them up.
“Instead of lifting the flagstones up gently, they just smashed them up. I remember my dad putting the flagstones down in 1964 and he was thrilled to bits as he was making an improvement to the house.
“They’re irreplaceable but the workers just smashed them with sledgehammers and replaced them with concrete.”
Workmen left him with a 3ft-deep trench surrounding his home – stopping him from leaving.
Frank said: “I woke up and heard someone outside and when I questioned them they said they were digging the gas pipe up.
“I said that there’s no gas pipe there, and that it’s the mains line.
“They kept digging but couldn’t actually trace the pipe work.”
“They still couldn’t find the pipework. There was no care taken over it, it was a just a shoddy work.
“They were actually digging my lawn up, without telling me.”
Frank said Cadent Gas told residents they would be “working in the area” last November – but one one warned him his drive would be affected.
He said: “I had no idea my driveway and garden would be turned into a deep trench or muddy moat. It’s a disgrace.”
Workmen went on to fill in the hole in his driveway with recycled gravel – which Frank said included sharp screws.
He said: “It’s just been blunder after blunder. Not only did they dig a great big hole in my driveway, but they filled it in with material which could quite easily puncture the tyres of my car.
“It was chaos, I couldn’t get into my garage. They dug right in front my two garages, then extended the trench right down my driveway.”
Cadent have since apologised to Frank for the damage to his garden and driveway.
Elliott Nelson, director of Cadent in the West Midlands, said: “We’ve investigated this matter and can confirm that the service we provided fell below the standards we expect from Cadent.
“We have taken learnings from this and have spoken to Mr Farmer and apologised for any distress this matter has caused.
“Our teams are keeping in close contact with him throughout the remainder of the works to ensure a positive resolution.”