Pensioner left 'gobsmacked' as Chorley traders rally round to fix half-done kitchen

77-year-old Phyllis Simmonds was left having sleepless nights after she paid more than £5,000 to a trader who left her kitchen in a state.

But now, traders from Chorley have come forward to offer their services for free and almost £600 has been donated online by people who wanted to help.

The pensioner had stopped smoking 18 years ago and spent almost two decades stashing away her cigarette money to buy her dream kitchen.

And after forking out £5,200 to a trader from North West Kitchen Fitting, based in Preston, she was left with a half-done job, with electrics dangling off the wall and missing wall tiles.

But since speaking out about her ordeal, local electricians and decorators have come forward to help the pensioner, offering their services for free.

Almost £600 of donations have also been raised on an online Go Fund Me page, which will help go towards a joiner and any other improvements.

Phyliss, of Epping Place, Chorley, said that even her neighbours approached her about her experience having read the story online.

She said: "I just wanted to highlight the issue of people getting ripped off and warn people away from hiring this company in the future because what has happened to me has just been awful.

"That was my intention and I never expected a response like this. Everyone has just been so kind. It's really uplifting and makes you feel so much better about the human race knowing that there are good people out there.

"I have always been paranoid about electrics and the way it was left just didn't help. They were so dangerous and it was keeping me up at night. You just don't know who you can trust these days and this just made it worse.

"I am surprised that people have been so helpful, especially after the year we have had when so many have struggled with money and have lost jobs or been made redundant. I am gobsmacked and just can't believe it.

"I hope that now it has been highlighted, it helps other people come forward if the same thing has happened to them and they have been done out of thousands. That is my hope - I have been lucky and had help but everyone else deserves that too."

Lancashire County Council Trading Standards and Action Fraud confirmed they were investigating the matter last week, following other similar reports about the company.

The Post made repeated efforts to contact the trader but have still received no response.

Daughter-in-law Jo and partner Michelle have also been left shocked by the kindness of people helping out mum Phyllis, saying that the community in Chorley is 'fantastic'.

Jo Gillbank-Simmonds, said: "The response has just been amazing we can't believe it. This had such a knock-on effect on all the family and was causing us a lot of stress.

"Electricians and decorators have offered to help when they can for free and a joiner is finishing the job in the next few weeks on discounted rates, we just wanted to raise the money to cover the remaining costs to make the kitchen safe.

"It is amazing to now know there is light at the end of the tunnel and all this can be put behind us. It has only been a week since she told her story and so many people have come forward wanting to help, we just can't believe it.

"It shows there are good people out there and what a fantastic community there is in Chorley."

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