Residential home owner Mary Coulton was fuming after hiring a car from a Bradford firm.

The 59-year-old from Shipley said she rented a Ford estate from Bierley-based AJ Car Hire for a week from March 31 - and has been trying to get back the balance of her deposit since.

Eventually she contacted Rights and Wrongs after claiming a cheque given to her by the firm bounced twice - leaving her to pay bank charges.

Now the firm has promised us she will get the deposit back in full. "I left £50 and when they brought the car they said they had put £18 of petrol in it," she said.

"When I took it back the tank was nearly empty so they said they would take £18 off my deposit and they gave me a cheque for £32.

"I didn't know the cheque had bounced until I got a letter with my statement from the bank. They charged me £4 and said they would re-submit it. It bounced again and they have charged me another £4.

"I have made lots of calls to the firm and every time a man has fobbed me off saying he has some big cheques coming.

"I am sick of ringing him up now. It isn't the money so much as the fact it has really upset me. I am in business myself with a small residential home and nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I still can't believe he would give me a cheque which bounced.

"I didn't write his cheque guarantee card number on the back - I didn't think I would have to."

AJ Car Hire manager Andy Bowes, who claimed he was not the person Mrs Coulton had spoken to, said: "I don't know how this has happened but it shouldn't have.

"I will get hold of her and tell her we are dropping round to give her £50 cash for the inconvenience.

"And I'll see if she wants a free car for a few days."

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