Vance victim sets sights on council

A PENSIONER has finally received the kitchen he ordered 10 months ago from controversial businessman Vance Miller — but is still threatening legal action against Oldham Council.

Wilfred Gathercole’s persistence paid off after an estimated 30 faxes, 30 phone calls and a dozen letters resulted in him being sent the correct parts.

But the 68-year-old, from Suffolk, says he has been left out of pocket and is blaming Oldham Trading Standards for not sorting out his complaint.

The Chronicle reported his complaint after Mr Gathercole paid £965 in June, 2009. However, when the kitchen turned up from Mr Miller’s firm in Maple Mill, Hathershaw, it was damaged, wrongly coloured and with hinges and screws missing.

Following the painstaking correspondence and even a trip to Oldham, Mr Gathercole was happy to receive some samples that matched his kitchen.

After confirming they were correct, all the parts he needed followed by courier along with a letter from Mr Miller saying he was pleased the complaint had been resolved.

Mr Gathercole said: “I’m still not 100 per cent happy as I have to get the kitchen fitted — but at least Mr Miller’s made an attempt and I have a kitchen that matches.”

Mr Gathercole says having to pay a carpenter to fix problems, together with his own costs, have added up to around £350.

He’s determined to get the money from Oldham Council and intends to issue a summons for breach of contract.

The authority insists the complaint is against Mr Miller but Mr Gathercole says he has taken legal advice that states because a trading standards officer agreed to resolve his complaint, they entered into a contract with him.

A bungled fraud prosecution led by the council against Mr Miller was thrown out of court earlier this year, leaving the authority facing potential costs of £5 million.

Mr Gathercole wants the council to spell out what action it took against Mr Miller and why.