£17,000 pile of rubble
Brick by brick a couple's new home extension was torn down after a row with the builders.
Joanne and Mark Rainbow watched in dismay as their dream was dismantled following weeks of anguish.
They are one of three families who have contacted the Chronicle over the workmanship of Eugene Cooke's company ECC Complete Services.
And today the 63-year-old's firm was being investigated by town hall inspectors following a series of complaints.
But it's too late for Mr and Mrs Rainbow, who are more than #17,000 out of pocket.
Their ordeal began when they contracted the company to build a garage with one room above and another behind at their home in St Peter's Gardens, Wallsend.
Work started on the #30,000 job at the beginning of February and lasted until the first May Bank Holiday and hairdresser Mrs Rainbow, 36, said: "When they started building the wall up, we could see it was leaning but when we tried to tell them about it they just said we didn't know what we were talking about.
"Later they took that wall down and said they had found the mistake and they started building the wall again, but then the worker doing the bricking put a note through our door said he had quit and he never came back."
The Rainbows then contacted their solicitor who advised them to get a report from a private inspector, but by then work had stopped on the extension for the first Bank Holiday weekend in May.
ECC Complete Services then, after many more discussions about the state of the building work, wrote to Mrs Rainbow saying they believed she did not want them to continue with the work and that they would not be coming back. Mrs Rainbow said: "I did not tell them I never wanted them to come back, I just told them I wanted the mistakes to be rectified.
"The extension was a mess and a complete eyesore. I just wanted them to put it right. The extension to the house was a dream we had for a while and we were so excited about having it done."
By the time ECC Complete Services downed tools Mr Rainbow, 41, and his wife had handed over #16,000, of which #11,000 had gone directly to the building company.
But they had nothing to show for it, as the extension had to be pulled down, at a cost of #1,300, so another firm could rebuild it. On inspecting the work, Billinghurst George and Partners, a firm of engineers, concluded the walls of the extension had not been built to acceptable standards and suggested, after a full survey, the walls be demolished.
Building control at North Tyneside Council is aware of the problems caused by the building company, which is based in Gosforth, and have inspected a number of properties, including Mrs Rainbow's, where ECC Complete Services carried out work.
A spokesperson said: "We have had a number of customer complaints about this company and have had concerns about some of the contracts we have inspected. We are investigating those complaints and contracts."
In a report conducted by building services for the Rainbows, an inspector found nine faults with the extension, including problems with brickwork alignment and the front corner of the garage was found to be out of line with the original house walls.
When contacted by the Chronicle, ECC Complete Services director Mr Cooke said building rules and regulations change so often that changes and alterations are always found to be needed.
Mr Cooke said: "The Rainbows found a fault in a section of the wall which was pulled down and rebuilt because the alignment of the brickwork did not match the other wall, but it was structurally sound.
"The floor was level and everything else was level. It was just an aesthetic section that no-one would have noticed that was out of line.
"There are other companies where inspectors come along when the work is done and say that something needs to be changed or altered.
"That goes without saying in most jobs.
"We have done a lot of work and have a lot of customers who think we do a good job and recommend us to other people."
* Have you had work done by this company? Contact the Chronicle news desk on (0191) 201 6446.
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