A FATHER has been forced to move out after contractors wrongly demolished his chimney - and then caused the roof to leak into his daughter’s room.

Stephen Faulkner, 44, of Culverdown, Basildon, asked Basildon Council to repair the chimney on the roof of his flat.

Morgan Sindall property services, which is contracted by Basildon Council to carry out repairs, went to his home and demolished the chimney.

Mr Faulkner contacted the council again to replace the chimney.

However, during the works in around February this year, Ashton Roofing, which Morgan Sindall outsourced the work to, broke some of the roof tiles, causing a leak above his daughter’s room.

Mr Faulkner said: “It was ridiculous.

They had already wrongly taken my chimney away and then they had destroyed my roof. I had to turn the electrics off in my whole home because the light fitting in my daughter’s room was dangerous due to the leak.”

Mr Faulkner had to move out of the flat with his son and daughter while the works are taking place and he has lodged an official complaint to Basildon Council and Morgan Sindall.

Morgan Sindall offered a settlement of just £500 to Mr Faulkner for the works, but Mr Faulkner said an independent firm estimated compensation should be £3,800.

A letter seen by The Echo from Matthew Foulger, project manager of Morgan Sindall, offered £75 in compensation. Mr Faulkner said that despite the message being sent to him on May 17, the works still have not been completed.

Andrew Buxton, councillor for St Martin’s, said: “I personally think this has been going on for too long now and I feel Mr Faulkner has suffered enough.

Could there please now be an investigation into what has gone wrong here? And with a matter of urgency next week, that his house is made liveable again and a massive apology for what has happened here.”

Councillor Don Morris, chairman of the council’s housing committee, said: “Morgan Sindall has been actively trying to address Mr Faulkner’s concerns and resolve the problems and we are monitoring the situation.”