Round world gyro attempt
A BRIT is hoping to be the first person to fly solo around the world in an open-cockpit gyrocopter.
James Ketchell, 37, will fly from Popham Airfield, Hants, on March 31 in his Magni M16C gyro to start the 22,858-mile route.
James, from Basingstoke, will brave temperatures from -20C to 40C.
He said: “The biggest challenge will be the unpredictable weather.” A COUPLE are “nearly broken” after finding 700 faults in their new £280,000 “home from hell”.
Nicola Bentley, 46, and husband Phil, 48, said they have had “the worst year” after using their life savings on a fourbed house built by Persimmon Homes.
The company only last month reported record pre-tax profits of more than £1billion for last year – thanks to home loans funded by the taxpayer.
Within days of moving in, the Bentleys claim they found doors that did not fit, holes in plaster, uneven architraves, cracks along windows and bubbled paint.
They say defects included wonky bricks, missing shelves, raised nails, poor sealant, scarring on the ceiling and lumpy turf. And they claim they were not allowed to inspect the detached property prior to exchanging contracts.
Phil said: “It’s an awful build – we are living in a building site.”
The couple, who have two children aged 10 and 15, said problems began when they got the keys last May for the home on Woodside Estate in Kippax near
Leeds. They bought it off-plan after seeing a show home. Financial director Nicola, who said just 10% of faults have been fixed, said: “It’s horrendous. We put everything into the house. I thought we had a dream home, but it’s a nightmare.” Phil, a managing director of a graphics firm, said: “We received a snagging report saying there were 500 defects. I identified a further 200. We spoke to a solicitor about pulling out. We were advised it would cost £100 Jeff Fairburn a day in penalty fees. I feel robbed blind.” Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire said: “Their home did not meet our intended standards. We’ve pledged to work with them to resolve what we believe are the final items of work.
“We let customers inspect their property prior to exchange if it is safe. Their property was still under construction.”
The York-based firm has been accused of cashing in on the Help to Buy scheme to achieve a 13% leap in profits last year.
Ex-boss Jeff Fairburn, 52, stepped down last year over his £75million bonus.