Contractors who claim they have been left out of pocket for work at a Fife building site are planning legal action.
They have accused Paddle Homes which has repeatedly breached health and safety regulations across the UK of failing to pay for work carried out at its housing development in Kennoway.
One of the contractors, Bruce Henderson, who provided sales and marketing services, claimed he was owed a significant sum of money by company owner Derek Barnes.
Mr Henderson, based in Dunfermline, alleged numerous others over the last two years had unpaid bills of between £50 and several thousand pounds and is organising the contractors to bring a class action lawsuit against Paddle Homes.
He said: “We have to put a mark down and say this is not on. I know of at least 20 contractors in and around the Fife area who are out of pocket, everything from the odd bit of money to not being paid at all.”
Former site manager Tony West said he gave up a job and drove to Fife from his home in South Wales to oversee the development in January. But a week later, he said, Mr Barnes told him he would not be paid. He was paid some money after going to Mr Barnes’ office in Blackburn, Lancashire, but claimed he is still owed around £400.
He said: “It was a horrendous experience, particularly as I was so far from home. Over and above the money Mr Barnes owed me, it cost me a lot of money to get to Scotland and stay there.”
Allegations were also made of poor building and safety standards at the site, north of Kilmux Park.
Lancashire-based Paddle Homes has clocked up a long list of safety breaches at building sites across the UK over the last few years.
Since 2005, multiple prohibition and improvement notices have been served on the company by the Health and Safety Executive.
Poor working conditions have been found, including dangerous scaffolding, poor site welfare, unprotected excavations and failures to secure and fence sites.
Just over two years ago, the Blackburn firm was fined over £10,000 for a series of safety breaches at a building site in the Vale of Glamorgan. An inspector found inadequate or missing fencing to keep the public out, a dirty toilet for workers, with no washing facilities, and an unheated caravan where workers were expected to get changed and shelter during sub-zero temperatures.
Conditions at the site were described as “appalling” and more likely to have been seen in the 19th century than the 21st century.
At a site in Blackburn where a prohibition notice was served due to unsafe scaffolding and a lack of boundary fencing, inspectors found evidence that children had been playing and setting fires.
When contacted by The Courier about the proposed legal action, Mr Barnes said: “Let them do it. I have no comment to make.”