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Mr and Mrs Powell's house

A childhood friendship has ended in tears after an Ebbw Vale builder left a family home in tatters. 

Beverley and Simon Powell asked X-Ray to investigate after their friend Darren Watkins took £50,000 of their money to revamp their house, including a new garage and loft conversion.

Mrs Powell told the programme, “Because Darren was a longstanding friend, we trusted him and thought that he knew what he was doing…that he would be the right man for the job.�

Detailed plans were drawn up by an architect for three months worth of work, but seven months later the Powells described it as looking like something out of World War 2.

They were meant to be getting an upstairs bedroom with an ensuite and a brand new garage to be used as a play area for their children and Mr Watkins started work in September, hoping to have everything finished by Christmas.

Mrs Powell told us: “Darren was very plausible. Oh Yeah, things are going great, he would say, for example, come here next week and you won't recognise the place. November time for me alarms bells started ringing.�

She continued, “There were no clean lines. Substandard work throughout was extensive. So much filler I think he basically put it on with his hands. The shower was held on by gaffer tape. I couldn't believe we'd been left with this awful mess.�

X-Ray asked surveyor Tim Davies to take a look at the work. He told us he’d found a retaining wall in the garage to be badly out of plumb, substandard materials being used, an unsupported area of the upstairs floor and ill fitted windows that wouldn’t close properly.

He said, “This really rates as a very poor job. There are a lot of problems here and a lot of money has been paid for work which is defective or completely unsuitable.�

Other surveyors who looked over the work earlier this year also found a wall which would have failed building regulations and temporary weatherproofing on the roof that had leaked.

The Powells took the decision to sack their former friend in December last year and an expert valuer has estimated his work at £30,000. £20,000 less than the money they have handed him.

Mrs Powell told us it’s left them shocked, angry and upset. She said, “It has caused us a lot of emotional and financial difficulty. Darren has totally abused his friendship which is very hurtful.

“For someone who you think you know extremely well to turn around and do this on your front doorstep is pretty hard to take.�

Mr Watkins has responded to X-Ray’s investigations. He admits he lost control during the job,  but said he didn’t feel he was being treated well. He told us, “I was not given the opportunity from day one to work in a comfortable environment. I was constantly pressured and strained.

“I told Simon and Bev I am going to do everything I can to get them [back into the house] and I was at the time confident that I could do that.

“I never had the opportunity to put anything right that was done not right. I tried to help a friend and basically it just backfired on me.�

The National Federation of Builders has worked with Trading Standards to come up with .