A FAMILY has told how they were left with a massive 15ft hole outside their home after an electricity company installed a car charging port next door. Pete Matthews said his front garden looks like "Beirut" while his neighbour's drive was left immaculate after the new power point for their electric car was fitted.
BNPSPete Matthews on his driveway which now has a 15ft trench '/ '
BNPSThe scene Pete and Coleen discovered after coming home from a funeral '/ '
BNPSPete said his front garden looks like ...Beirut' '/ ' Scottish and Southern Electricity Network have left barriers up around the 15ft by 3ft hole in the ground 12 weeks after the work was done. Mr Matthews, 59, and wife Colleen, 42, struggle to get in and out of their front door while the postman has to leave their post under a brick as he can't get to their letterbox. The couple claim their £5,000 TV specially built into their wall and their £800 shower also broke due to an electricity surge when workmen turned the power on after cutting it off. Mr Matthews lives in a semi-detached house in Poole, Dorset, but the electricity supply for both properties is on his side. He said his neighbour warned him in April that they were having a car charging port installed and that his drive may have to be dug up. But the business improvement manager said he never heard from SSEN and didn't give permission for the work to go ahead. It was only when he and his wife returned home from a family funeral in Newcastle in May that they discovered a large pile of rubble on their drive. He demanded the engineer stop the work so it could be inspected following the alleged damage to his TV and shower. Most read in News 'WE KNOW HOW SHE DIED' Gabby Petito's mom breaks down as she slams Brian's 'confession' FIRED UP Inside chaotic moments at Woodstock '99 that triggered WARZONE to erupt CELL TIME? Alex Jones could face criminal trial & year in jail after his texts were exposed HOUSE OF HORRORS Mom & son's dismembered bodies found after kidnapped daughter's escape TRAGIC CRASH Mom & daughter, 8, died in 8-car crash after getting trapped in burning car FATAL CRASH Congresswoman & two aides among 4 people killed in horror car crash But he says nobody from SSEN has been out to see him and they have failed to fill in and tarmac the drive. The father-of-three said: ...My neighbour has got a beautiful drive, a beautiful electric car and a beautiful electric power point, while my house looks like Beirut. ...I have had 12 weeks of only being able to use two thirds of my drive. I have got eight barriers on my drive. ...Our postman now puts letters under a brick because he can't get to the letter box, it's just a nightmare. ...I feel like we have just been discarded by SSEN, almost to the point of them saying ...if we don't answer them they will go away'. ...We haven't had a TV for 12 weeks and we spent £700 replacing the shower. ...When we got a trademan out to try and fix the shower he said it was consistent with a power cut and then a sudden surge. I don't believe in coincidences and we didn't have any problems before the work started. ...This goes back to the beginning of May. We live in a semi-detached property and our neighbour wanted to be able to charge their car from their home. ...The electricity comes from our side. She said SSEN would definitely be in touch but we didn't hear a thing.... As well as the 4ft rubble pile and the ...whopping' trench he said there was also spray paint and a large crack in the wall on his drive. Mr Matthews said he has been repeatedly ignored and passed from pillar to post by SSEN complaints' department over the mess. They finally sent him an email claiming they had offered to visit the site before work was carried out but that he had not responded to the request. He said they also told him they were no longer obliged to complete the work. Judy Butt, a local councillor, described the situation as ...outrageous' and said she had not received a response when she asked SSEN for a solution. A spokesperson from SSEN told The Sun: "SSEN is continuing to engage with Mr Matthews to resolve this situation and apologises for any inconvenience caused."
