Mum Joanne Pickles is preparing for Court action against a builder after paying nearly £500 for roof repairs.

In June last year she hired Keighley-based Craven Construction boss Colin Craven to repair her roof and stop water running down her baby daughter's bedroom wall at her home in Wyke.

"He said all the slates needed removing and it needed re-felting and there wouldn't be any problem," she said.

"I paid him £495 but he said he had run out of receipts and had forgotten to bring a copy of my estimate.

"I was promised these the next day but I received the receipt in December.

"To this day I have not had a written estimate.

"By November it started leaking again and the water was running down the wall in the same place.

"I phoned him and he said he would come out but no-one did.

"Eventually I contacted West Yorkshire Trading Standards and they sent him a letter.

"He then sent someone out to have a look and they said the water was coming off the next door neighbour's roof and getting in from there.

"They never came back.

"I have written to Mr Craven twice and I have phoned several times, once speaking to Mr Craven who promised to sort out the problem but he never appeared.

"I have left messages on his voice mail and home answering machine but nothing has worked."

Miss Pickles said she called in two other firms and they gave her estimates of £505 and £620 to correct the problem.

And she contacted the Federation of Master Builders, of which Craven Construction is a member, and received a letter saying the organisation had written to him.

"I just can't afford to spend more money on it which is why I am taking Craven Construction to the Small Claims Court," she said.

"I'm really mad - I can't believe it."

Federation regional director Ron Wilson confirmed he had written to Mr Craven enclosing a copy of Miss Pickles's letter and asking for his comments - but had had no reply.

"I will be writing to him again asking for a reply and if we don't get one, the matter will be referred to the regional complaints committee which will demand a reply from him within seven days otherwise his membership would be in jeopardy."

Mr Craven said he had done all the work he was paid for and the leak was not coming from the roof. He said he had given Miss Pickles a written estimate before he started work and a receipt when he was paid.

And he denied receiving a letter from the FMB.

"The leak isn't coming from the work we have done," he said.

"There was no felt on the roof so we agreed we would get the slates off, re-felt it and put the slates back.

"There is an old skylight in her roof which is jiggered and we even put some new timber in that because it was rotten.

"The problem is from water coming off the next door roof which is about three inches away from hers."

A West Yorkshire Trading Standards spokesman said: "We did write to Mr Craven asking for his comments about the complaint we received."

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