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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Lee Grimsditch

Kind plasterer steps in to help pregnant woman after cowboy builder 'ruins baby's room'

A kind hearted local builder stepped in to help a pregnant woman after cowboy builders took her money and ruined her new baby’s bedroom.

Lee Tomlin, 26, a plasterer from Ellesmere Port saw Danielle Hardy's post on Facebook telling people how her new baby’s room had been left "a state" by a local builder.

After reading the desperate mum-to-be's post, Lee contacted her and offered to help out.

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He said: “She hired a plasterer who went round and she paid him the money but he walked away and left the room in a complete state.

“It was posted on Facebook, people asking if anyone could help her and I thought I can.

“She said to me I haven't got any money but I told her I would do it for free.”

After generously offering to do the work with no charge, Lee uploaded his own post to the same Pride in the Port Facebook group asking if anyone else could help towards the cost of repairs.

He posted: “A local woman who's having a baby and is about to pop before Christmas.

“She had a room plastered and left in a very bad way and they walked away with her money.

“So I've done the right thing and went round there last night to have a look and make a plan of action.

The plastering around the window frames was uneven (Danielle Hardy)

"I've said I will rectify the whole job off my own back for free. As I'm doing it for free would there be any local building merchants that would contribute some materials to help this woman get her room finished for Christmas?”

The walls of Danielle's new baby's bedroom were left rough with patches of raised, dry plaster left crumbling (Danielle Hardy)

After his post was commended and shared online by the community, MKM Builders in Chester contacted Lee and donated all the materials he would need to fix the job.

The base of the walls were left with large, uneven gaps (Danielle Hardy)

Danielle told the ECHO how grateful she was to Lee for offering to do the work, which she said should be completed by the weekend.

She said: "He's been so amazing - he was here from 2pm yesterday and didn't leave until 8pm!

"He came in and said take it all back down. We'd saved for months and I'm having my baby next week.

"After many many many kick offs and tears from me we got £250 back out of the £450 paid.

One of Danielle's walls after Lee Tomlin has started repairing the damage done by the previous plasterer is now smooth (Danielle Hardy)

"The previous plasterer thought he had done a really good deed giving us some money back and couldn't seem to understand why I wasn't super happy about this!

"I replied with I might as well have burnt £200 and put it in a bin and I really do not want him doing this to anyone else".

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She added: "We have also tried telling Lee he's taking the money we got given back but he has said he will not accept anything from us at all!"

Asked why he offered his services for free, Lee - who has worked as a builder since leaving school - said this year he felt it was important to give something back.

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