Shame of ‘kindest plumber in Britain’
Tradesman accused of faking good deeds, including saving life of woman who had died two years before
BRITAIN’S ‘kindest plumber’ has been accused of faking good deeds to raise millions from donations.
James Anderson has received plaudits including letters of thanks from the King and the late Queen and a Pride of Britain Award for his ‘selfless acts’.
His moving social media stories, in which he describes helping out struggling customers for free, have prompted more than £2 million in donations, including from celebrities Hugh Grant and Lily Allen.
But a BBC investigation has accused the 56-year-old tradesman of inventing some of the distressing claims made in the posts and publicising clients’ private information without consent. In one shocking example, he claimed that he saved an elderly woman from suicide – when in reality she had died two years previously.
Mr Anderson founded and runs Depher
‘I know I’ve done it wrong – I apologise’
– which stands for Disabled and Elderly, Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response. The Burnley-based firm is a Community Interest Company, which means it should provide a defined public benefit. Depher says it provides ‘free or heavily subsidised emergency plumbing and heating services to vulnerable and struggling’ people.
He often posts messages on Facebook and X of his good deeds in helping struggling pensioners, families and cancer patients. Yet the BBC found several posts contained misleading or false information.
A post from June 12, 2022, showed a woman with her face covered next to Mr Anderson with the caption: ‘Shared with permission. A lady, 84 years old, rang Depher UK and spoke to myself, she was upset and desperate. She lived 53 miles away in #Preston.
‘I drive as fast as I could, when I got there she had a noose ready to commit suicide. All she wanted
was hot water! #costoflivingcrisis.’ The woman actually died in February 2020, the BBC said.
The woman’s daughter said the post’s claims were ‘a complete lie’ and made it seem Mr Anderson was ‘using vulnerable people like my mother as a money-making machine’. Mr Anderson admitted the post was false and apologised to the family but denied putting the image online himself.
In another case, a domestic abuse victim was allegedly pictured
online with her child and accused of theft despite no evidence being provided.
Mr Anderson has also been accused of posting information about his vulnerable customers without their permission. The BBC highlighted more than 20 videos and photographs of an elderly man which included information about his sexuality. In one, the man is heard to say ‘God no’ when asked if he would agree to be filmed.
Staff at Depher also told the
BBC of safety fears and an image emerged of a worker smoking while fixing a boiler that was said to have a gas leak.
Mr Anderson told the BBC: ‘I know I’ve done it wrong. I apologise. But what can I do? I haven’t got a magic stick. I’m not Harry Potter.’ He said he had made mistakes because of a relentless campaign of ‘bullying, harassment and attacks’ by online trolls.
The Mail has contacted Mr Anderson for comment.