A young Bradford mum was hoping to make history today when she went to Court in a bid to reclaim money she invested in a homeworking scheme.

Mother-of-two Ellie Wheeler, 26, was taking on SBS Design of Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire, in a landmark case at Wolverhampton County Court.

Miss Wheeler, of Low Moor, is being backed by the West Yorkshire Homeworking Unit. It will be the first time the unit, which has joined forces with trading standards officers to warn people about the schemes, has helped take such a case to court.

SBS Design was not available for comment.

Miss Wheeler, a part-time supermarket cashier, got involved with the company after seeing a card in a post office window advertisement last January.

"It was advertising for people to make mobile phone cases. I wanted to do some work from home and thought I'd give it a try," said Miss Wheeler, who lives with her boyfriend Paul Green.

"We needed the extra money. A little money is better than none at all."

She sent off £15 and received information about different work available, including making envelopes which would pay £7 per hundred. So she sent off another £35 for a kit.

Miss Wheeler and a friend then spent 70 hours making up the envelopes which she claims were sent back three times with letters explaining why they were not up to scratch.

"I knew it wasn't right the second time but said we'd have one more go. When they came back again, I knew for certain and contacted trading standards," said Miss Wheeler, who alleges she still hasn't been paid for the work. "Fifty pounds is a lot of money to me. It's my week's wage and we'd put so many hours in. It's not fair and it was disheartening."

Cheryl Conlock of the homeworking unit, said: "It is rare for these types of cases to get to court."

She added: "This is the first we've been involved with and I only know of three others.

"It does make the point how difficult it is for people to get their money back, which makes it more scandalous. People don't take civil cases. Most write their money off."

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