The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Grieving widow slams Perthshire builder who left memorial garden a rubbish-strewn mess.
Widow says her dream of creating special space is in tatters
A grieving widow who contacted a Perthshire building company to create a memorial garden claims it has abandoned the job and left an unsafe mess.
Claire Best, 32, of Glasgow, contacted First Response Garden and Tree Care Services after spotting its advert on Facebook.
She said she has now paid £2,780 but been left with a rubble and rubbishstrewn mess.
The mother-of-three had wanted a memorial garden for herself and her children Marc, 15, Abi, nine and twoyear-old Logan, after losing her husband, Steven, 35, to throat cancer in June last year.
However, she claims Methven-based First Response downed tools on November 2 and has not been back to complete the work.
The Courier visited the home of Dean Dixon, who owns First Response, at his home address in Methven. A man answered the door but declined to comment.
Claire said: “As a family we are struggling to come to terms with what has happened – never mind having to come to terms with this as well.
“I wanted to create a safe place for the children to play and a memorial with a tree in the centre where we could scatter Steven’s ashes. But the garden is a mess and I have no idea if the work will ever be completed.
“We’d moved into a house with a garden – the first we have ever had – and I wanted to spend a bit of money to make things nice for the children.
“The firm told me I’d have to pay for the materials upfront for the work to start. The job included decking in the back garden, a memorial garden and a new fence in front of a dwarf wall.”
She said she paid £1,600 by bank transfer and then another £900 in cash.
“I later paid £280 for decking spindles and a handrail, which hadn’t been in the original quote,” she added.
“I keep expecting the workers to come back but there’s no sign. I have sent numerous texts and left messages and I’ve now been blocked by them on Facebook.
“They’ve done some of the decking and fence and planted the tree but that’s about it. The garden is not safe to use and it’s a mess.
“The children can’t play outside and I have no memorial either. We have been through so much – I can’t afford to hire another company to sort this out.”
Perth and Kinross Council’s trading standards department confirmed it is aware of other incidents involving the company.
A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns regarding a company called First Response Garden and Tree Care Services and can confirm that we have received a number of inquiries about the business.
“We would advise any member of the public who is hiring a contractor to ensure they use someone who has either been recommended to them by someone they know or a company/contractor who is registered with the council’s better business partnership scheme.”