Scams.&.Scandals.S02E03.Britains.Hero.Plumber.Exposed
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00:00It's about getting out there. Remove the war, remove the stigma. Come to us, we'll give you that help.
00:15Now you won't meet people more remarkable than the plumber James Anderson.
00:19He's gained hero status in his hometown.
00:23James Anderson's acts of kindness moved the nation.
00:27His name is James Anderson. He's a plumber who couldn't stand seeing people getting cold because they didn't have enough money for boiler repairs.
00:34We put ourselves on social media. A lot of people see it. A lot of people share it. So that's how we get the support coming in.
00:39Known as Britain's kindest plumber.
00:42We've analysed those social media accounts.
00:45So far, he's helped over 2 million people across the country receiving a special award for his work and even catching the attention of actor Hugh Grant and his family.
00:52Uncovering false and misleading posts. Allegations that vulnerable people have been exploited.
01:03I cared for her for a couple of years and to know that it's just horrible.
01:10He was going in and helping them in one sense, but then he was taking their dignity.
01:20You do not have consent for those photos to be circulated.
01:26Probably the most vulnerable I've ever been in my entire life.
01:29That has shaken me to the core.
01:32She had her nose ready to commit suicide.
01:35A lie.
01:37This complete lie.
01:38It's a post that's gone with a photograph of my mum in a bedroom.
01:49That's awful. It really brings it all back how vulnerable I really am.
01:54We've spent over 3 million pounds, okay?
01:58We've helped over 2 million people.
02:002 million, 150 thousand to be exact.
02:03Is 3 million pounds correct, yes or no?
02:05I don't know.
02:05You don't know?
02:06They've made up figures, so they're guesstimates?
02:09They're guesstimates, guesstimates, yeah, guesstimates.
02:11For the first time, James Anderson gives his side of the story.
02:15I've had nothing but 3 years now of intimidation, bullying, harassment, attacks.
02:21You must have lied James to raise money and exploit elderly people.
02:26I know I've done it wrong.
02:28I apologise, but what can I do?
02:31I haven't got a magic stick.
02:32I'm a Harry Potter.
02:33That is a desperate story.
02:44It's a desperate story, but also the two accounts can't be true.
02:48There's one a few months earlier where she has passed away,
02:52and there's one here where she's suicidal.
02:55We're BBC journalists who spent weeks on the ground in Burnley.
02:58I think left here is we're looking for bungalows.
03:01Investigating serious allegations, that's the outside of the house,
03:04and that's the patio, against James Anderson and his community interest company, DEFA.
03:10This is the story of what we uncovered and how.
03:13First, we analysed and verified hundreds of his company's social media posts over the past five years.
03:28One story stood out.
03:31This post from June 2022.
03:34An emoji covers an elderly woman's face.
03:38James Anderson is smiling.
03:40It says,
03:41She was upset and desperate.
03:43She lived 53 miles away in Preston.
03:46I drove as fast as I could.
03:49When I got there,
03:50she had a noose ready to commit suicide.
03:56The account then says
03:57she is safe living with family.
04:00But we discovered
04:01this image had been used again
04:03and again and again.
04:05This is the same woman without the emoji.
04:0818 months earlier,
04:09it reads,
04:10Good night and God bless my sweet angel.
04:13And again,
04:14here in colour,
04:15it reads,
04:16She is my friend.
04:17She has sadly passed away,
04:19gone to a better place that cares.
04:22The truth
04:22is that the woman died years before the post
04:26saying James Anderson saved her life.
04:29But the image has been used repeatedly.
04:32Same woman,
04:33separate stories.
04:34Many are linked to fundraising pages.
04:36We discovered the woman was called Joyce.
04:50Horrible.
04:51Upsetting.
04:52To note that...
04:53It's just horrible.
04:58Steph helped Joyce for two years.
05:04Do you remember that house?
05:05Yeah.
05:06Was that house in Preston?
05:08No.
05:09I'm not going to disclose where,
05:10but it's definitely not Preston.
05:12This is the first time
05:14she's seen the social media post.
05:16So is that true?
05:18No, none of that's true with Joyce.
05:21All the complete lie.
05:22I think it's all the farce
05:23to try and gain more money
05:24out of people.
05:25We wanted to corroborate
05:38the carer's story.
05:40A week later,
05:42a family member agreed to meet us,
05:44Joyce's daughter.
05:47This was one
05:48knock on the door
05:49I was really worried about.
05:50Joyce's kitchen.
05:55Joyce's cardigan.
05:56T-shirt, jumper.
05:58Her hair.
05:59Andrea had no idea
06:01her mother's image
06:02had been posted
06:02on social media by DEFA.
06:05I shared with permission.
06:07A lady,
06:08eight to four years old,
06:10rang DEFA
06:11and spoke to myself.
06:13She was upset
06:14and desperate.
06:16She lived 53 miles away
06:17in Preston.
06:18Well, that's not true.
06:20That's not true.
06:22I'd drive as fast as I could.
06:24When I got there,
06:27she had her noose ready
06:31to commit suicide.
06:34All she wanted
06:35was hot water.
06:39That is just not true.
06:43How do you describe that post?
06:46A lie.
06:47This complete lie.
06:49A lady rang me
06:50from Preston in Lancashire.
06:52Can you help me?
06:52James Anderson
06:53repeatedly spoke
06:55about the story
06:55on camera.
06:57I knocked on the front door.
06:58No answer.
06:58It was a bay window
06:59coming out.
07:00Knocked on that.
07:00No answer.
07:01So I went round the back
07:02and before my eyes
07:04there was a lady
07:05standing on a chair
07:06with a noose around her neck.
07:07In airways,
07:08what's the point
07:08of your living anymore?
07:10So I had to
07:11ring the police.
07:12I had to ring a daughter.
07:14I cried.
07:15I kicked the door in.
07:15Before my eyes
07:16there was a lady
07:17standing on a chair
07:17with a noose around her neck
07:18at 84 years of age.
07:20How do you sleep at night?
07:24How can you
07:25exploit vulnerable people?
07:30We also found
07:31these images
07:32connected to Joyce's story.
07:34A noose
07:35on a floor
07:36posted by Daffer.
07:38But this is quite extraordinary.
07:39It's had 607,000 views
07:41and that's got a GoFundMe
07:43attached to it.
07:44Yeah, well
07:44that is just despicable.
07:47It's like
07:50vulnerable people
07:52like Mother
07:53is the money-making machine.
07:57The BBC
07:58has found
07:58multiple examples
07:59of misleading posts.
08:02This photo
08:03of a back boiler
08:04was used
08:05five times
08:06over four years.
08:07In 2020
08:08James Anderson
08:09insisted
08:10he attended
08:11within the hour.
08:12But our research
08:13shows
08:14the image
08:14was first used
08:15by Anderson
08:16in 2017.
08:18In others
08:19the same images
08:20are repeated
08:21but details change.
08:23Like this woman
08:24and her shower repair
08:25used five times
08:27from April 2022
08:28to August 2023.
08:30The woman's age
08:31ranges from 59
08:33to 89
08:34and 97.
08:37And this image
08:37claims to show
08:39a woman
08:39who died
08:40from carbon monoxide.
08:42Her face
08:42blacked out.
08:44But we
08:45identified her
08:46from a previous
08:47DEFA post
08:48and learnt
08:48the story
08:49is fake.
08:50Old picture
08:58for new followers
08:59this lady
09:00suffered domestic violence
09:01so that's
09:02identifying her
09:03as a victim.
09:04That's a year later
09:05it's been viewed
09:06over 8,000 times.
09:09We also analysed
09:10these DEFA posts.
09:15In July 2022
09:17a mum
09:18on a sofa
09:18with a young child
09:19and baby
09:20holding cash.
09:22She's identified
09:23as a previous
09:24victim of DV
09:25domestic violence.
09:30In October that year
09:31the image
09:32is used again.
09:33It says
09:34her only form
09:35of heating
09:36was a quilt.
09:38Then
09:39in May 2023
09:40nearly a year later
09:42DEFA posts this
09:43the same image
09:45but all faces
09:46covered with emojis.
09:47It says
09:48without evidence
09:49the mother
09:50the mother stole
09:50from the DEFA
09:51fundraising shop.
09:53I forgive her
09:54as she may be
09:55in a dark place.
09:58And finally
09:59in September
10:00that year
10:01the image
10:01is used again.
10:03This time
10:03the children's faces
10:04are covered.
10:06Months after accusing
10:07the mother
10:07of stealing
10:08it says DEFA
10:09gave the family
10:11hope
10:11that the community
10:13cared
10:13and permission
10:14was given
10:15to use the photo.
10:21We identified
10:22the mother
10:23behind the posts.
10:29When we arrived
10:31she'd only just
10:32learned her image
10:33had been used
10:34repeatedly
10:35by DEFA.
10:36You do not
10:37have consent
10:38for those
10:39photos
10:40to be circulated.
10:42This was Gemma
10:42on the phone
10:43to death.
10:44Do not patronise me
10:46and call me love
10:46really
10:47do not.
10:48My photo
10:49of me and my kids
10:50has been used
10:50over and over
10:51and over
10:52and over
10:53so you've
10:53exploited me
10:55and my kids
10:56at our most
10:57vulnerable
10:58and repeatedly
10:59on social media.
11:00Gemma
11:01agreed to talk
11:02to us
11:03and allowed
11:03us to use
11:04the posts.
11:05Did you give
11:06permission
11:06for your children
11:07to be identified
11:07on social media?
11:08No, not at all.
11:09When James came
11:10and helped me
11:12he said
11:13can I take your photo
11:14for transparency
11:15and evidence
11:17and I said
11:18I would rather you
11:19not
11:20I don't want it
11:21on social media.
11:22He said
11:23no it won't go on
11:24it's for transparency
11:25and that is it.
11:26We found
11:26three fundraising pages
11:28linked to images
11:30of Gemma
11:30and her children.
11:31When they
11:32read your story
11:33they're moved
11:34to click through
11:35to the GoFundMe
11:36in that case
11:37£209,000
11:38was raised.
11:39We also showed
11:40Gemma
11:41the post
11:41accusing her
11:42of stealing.
11:44Were you aware
11:45of the accusation
11:46of alleged theft?
11:47When was the first
11:48time you were aware
11:49of the alleged theft?
11:49This morning
11:50when a neighbour
11:51came down
11:52and said
11:52Gemma have you
11:53seen this?
11:53Have you seen this?
11:54You had no idea
11:55about the social media post?
11:56No, no idea at all.
11:57I just hope
11:58and pray
11:59that anyone
11:59that knows me
12:00that has seen this
12:02will know
12:02that I would
12:04never do a thing
12:05like that.
12:06They've just
12:07made something
12:10that's very private
12:11to my life
12:12very, very public.
12:14How vulnerable
12:15were you in that moment?
12:16Probably the most vulnerable
12:17I've ever been
12:18in my entire life.
12:19And what did
12:20James Anderson do?
12:21Just abuse that.
12:23our investigation
12:29has heard
12:30from four
12:31former DEFA
12:32staff members.
12:33He was going in
12:35and helping them
12:36in one sense
12:37but then he was
12:38taking their dignity.
12:40This woman
12:40agreed to talk
12:41to us anonymously.
12:42There was never
12:43any forms
12:44no one ever
12:45no one ever
12:46signed.
12:48She spent over
12:49two years
12:49inside DEFA.
12:51She claims
12:51during that time
12:52there was no
12:53substantial
12:54consent process
12:55for taking photos
12:57for social media.
12:58James would say
12:59that they're doing
13:00a job
13:01and he would see
13:02someone accepting
13:03DEFA
13:03to do a job
13:04as a consent
13:05to take their picture
13:06and use it publicly.
13:08Did you get people
13:09really angry on the phone?
13:10Yeah, we'd get
13:11a couple of people
13:12who'd ring up
13:13and say
13:13I've been sent
13:15a picture of
13:15my grandma
13:17you know
13:17can you please
13:18remove it?
13:19I don't want
13:20them being on.
13:21James Anderson
13:22told the BBC
13:23there has been
13:24a written consent
13:25process for social
13:26media pictures
13:27since early 2023.
13:30A picture speaks
13:31a thousand words
13:32and if you're
13:32seeing someone
13:33in a vulnerable
13:34state
13:34someone's going
13:37to go
13:37hey
13:37this company
13:39is doing good
13:39here
13:40let's donate.
13:44We wanted answers
13:45to the serious
13:46allegations
13:47we've uncovered
13:48hey
13:49you alright?
13:50hi
13:50Ed from BBC News
13:51James Anderson
13:53agreed to talk to us
13:54hey James
13:55you okay?
13:56nice to see you
13:57Ed
13:58inside his DEFA
13:59office in Burnley
14:01so she's my little
14:02princess
14:02really appreciate you
14:04speaking to us
14:05to give your side
14:06of the story
14:07a place
14:08full of thank you
14:09cards
14:10awards
14:11letters of recognition
14:12for the help
14:14he's given
14:14to thousands of people
14:15the queen
14:16the king
14:18he says
14:19he's been a victim
14:21of a relentless
14:22online bullying campaign
14:23I've had not only
14:24but three years now
14:25of intimidation
14:27bullying
14:28harassment
14:29attacks
14:29if I'm fighting
14:30against the trolls
14:31and against the haters
14:32every single day
14:32which I am
14:33seven days a week
14:34I can't concentrate
14:35on doing what's right
14:36the support we've given
14:37to the thousands
14:38of people everywhere
14:39okay
14:39speaks for itself
14:41okay
14:41and it does speak
14:42for itself
14:43but what about
14:45the false and misleading
14:46posts
14:47starting with Joyce
14:49and the suicide attempt
14:50I didn't put that on
14:52that's from
14:53Dether's account
14:54is that post
14:56true
14:56that post is not true
14:58no
14:58that is not true
15:00because
15:00that is not the lady
15:01so that leads
15:02to the family
15:03I apologise
15:03for any mix-up
15:04it's not a mix-up
15:05the family has said
15:07that is a lie
15:08what do you want
15:09to say to that family
15:10and I've just said
15:11I apologise to the family
15:12but I will have to look
15:13further into that
15:13onto the old account
15:14we also showed James
15:16the interviews
15:17when he talked
15:18about this story
15:19I remember doing that video
15:21a lady rang me
15:22from Preston
15:23in Lancashire
15:24but again
15:25I apologise
15:26to the family
15:27for any upset
15:28that this has caused
15:30now these shots
15:31of the noose
15:32were connected
15:33to GoFundMes
15:34and one of them
15:36helped raise
15:37£78,000
15:38now we know
15:39that the image
15:40was misleading
15:40will you return
15:42that money
15:43if people want
15:43the money returned
15:44yes
15:44of course
15:45regardless
15:46what people want
15:47will you return
15:48that £78,000
15:49I'll return
15:49that £78,000
15:50to the donors
15:51yeah
15:51we also asked him
15:53about these posts
15:54a mother
15:55accused of theft
15:56and identified
15:57as a previous victim
15:58of domestic violence
16:00I know exactly
16:01who she is
16:01she's incredibly upset
16:02she's incredibly upset
16:04she never gave you
16:06permission
16:07she did
16:07to use her photographs
16:08she did
16:09she did
16:09or of her children
16:10she did
16:11she took items
16:12from the shop
16:13for the children
16:14for presents
16:14like Barbie stuff
16:15and she promised
16:16that she would come back
16:17and pay for it
16:18and she never ever did
16:18Gemma strongly refutes
16:21these claims
16:22James admitted
16:23he should have handled
16:24this story differently
16:26if I've upset you
16:28I'm very sorry
16:29and I do apologise
16:30and maybe I should
16:33have been more cautious
16:34over the vulnerability
16:36side of it
16:36James did not respond
16:38to our questions
16:39about the Gainsborough
16:40shower story
16:41or the back boiler story
16:43but he admitted
16:45these posts
16:47about the carbon monoxide
16:48death
16:49were fake
16:50that's disgusting
16:52that's shocking
16:52I haven't got a clue
16:54where that has come from
16:55you've described
16:55your own post
16:56as disgusting
16:57and shocking
16:57yes I have
16:57but it's not my post
16:59it is your post
17:00it's on death
17:02you cannot say
17:02it's not your post
17:03that's not correct
17:03right okay
17:04it's death is post
17:05but have I got onto
17:06death is
17:07I don't know
17:08that is an absolutely
17:09disgusting misleading
17:10misleading post
17:11and I apologize
17:13from the bottom of my heart
17:15that is a lie
17:16you ever put on you
17:17it is a lie
17:17too late it's a lie
17:18our investigation
17:23also revealed
17:25serious
17:26safeguarding failures
17:27here we are today
17:29a free comic conversion
17:30that we're doing
17:31for a gentleman
17:31who's 84 years of age
17:33we found this video
17:34filmed by James Anderson
17:35and posted on his Facebook page
17:37see where the lads
17:38stand up
17:38we're doing a little bit of work now
17:39earning a cup of tea
17:41after identifying the outside
17:44Anderson walks into the hood
17:47we'll go through here
17:48hello sir you okay
17:51I'm just doing a little video
17:52I'll show people what we're doing
17:53and asks this question
17:56you okay
17:57you okay
17:58you okay to be on this video
18:00or do you not want to be on it
18:01oh god no
18:01no okay
18:02not a problem
18:03listen again
18:04the man being filmed
18:06clearly says
18:07oh god no
18:08you okay to be on this video
18:09or do you not want to be on it
18:10oh god no
18:11no okay
18:12not a problem
18:12the BBC is not identifying
18:15the elderly man filmed
18:16but it didn't stop
18:20with this one video
18:21we found dozens of deaffer posts
18:25using this man's image
18:27over several years
18:30his story reveals intimate
18:32personal details
18:33this post says
18:36he asked James
18:36is it okay if I have a husband
18:39another post says
18:42he was sorry
18:43for having a husband
18:44another reads
18:46he was worried
18:47that we would not help him
18:49because he was married to a man
18:51many of these posts
18:53are linked to fundraising appeals
18:55on GoFundMe
18:56and a PayPal account
18:58we added up donations
19:00worth more than
19:01£270,000
19:03he said it was around here
19:09using identifiable details
19:13on the video posted by deaffer
19:15we're looking for that brickwork
19:16and that garage
19:18it took us only an hour
19:20to locate this man's home
19:21there there there
19:23these ones
19:24this is it
19:25the garage is on the right hand side
19:26the little railings
19:28the red rusty sort of coloured tarmac
19:30and the paving slabs
19:31same coloured bricks
19:32same little window
19:33we learned the man
19:36had recently passed away
19:37and over the next four weeks
19:40we spoke to his carers
19:42solicitor
19:44and close neighbours
19:45remember this
19:46show people what we're doing
19:48so that's the
19:49where the controls are
19:51you okay
19:51we learned
19:53he did not have the capacity
19:54to give informed consent
19:56he would never ever
19:58agree to win his mum
20:00they were quite a private couple
20:03this close neighbour
20:05who we're not identifying
20:07knew him for more than 30 years
20:09I think that's disgusting
20:11you know
20:12he was so vulnerable
20:14he just wouldn't have understood it
20:16we also discovered
20:18this deaffer post
20:19an elderly woman
20:21who we're not identifying
20:22is pictured in her bedroom
20:24looking away from camera
20:25we've blurred the image
20:27but if you zoom in
20:29one of the attached photos
20:31shows her bank details
20:32name
20:33phone number
20:34and address
20:35hiya
20:36the post led us
20:37straight to her front door
20:39we wanted to warn her
20:42of the risks
20:43we also told her family
20:45and she agreed to talk to us
20:47anonymously
20:47so do you remember
20:49deaffer coming round
20:50to your house
20:50yes
20:52yeah
20:52do you remember them
20:54taking pictures of you
20:55for social media
20:56no
20:57no
20:58no
20:59is that your address
21:00yeah
21:01and
21:02is that
21:03are those your bank details
21:04yeah
21:06all on that image
21:07yeah
21:08what's your reaction to that
21:10horrified
21:10I was very happy
21:13with what they
21:14the work that they did
21:16but I'm shocked
21:17the image
21:18has been viewed
21:19more than 11,000 times
21:21that's awful
21:23were you
21:24aware that it was
21:25put on social media
21:26no way
21:27never gave that a thought
21:31can you sum up
21:32how this makes you feel
21:34used really
21:35yeah
21:36and having been
21:37scammed before
21:39it really brings it
21:40out all back
21:40how vulnerable
21:41I really am
21:47we also warned her son
21:49he rang deaffer straight away
21:52and asked for the post
21:54to be removed
21:55so essentially
21:56it's a post
21:57that's gone
21:58with a photograph
21:59of my mum
22:00in a bedroom
22:02with all her details
22:06of a name
22:07address
22:08a signature
22:08and there's
22:0911.7 thousand views on it
22:12it's like
22:13what the hell
22:15are you doing
22:15in a bedroom
22:17she doesn't know
22:19that she's had
22:20a photograph
22:20being taken
22:21it's a massive
22:22safeguarding issue
22:23for me
22:24that all people
22:26are taking advantage of
22:27James Anderson
22:29told us he was aware
22:30of this post
22:31he'd spoken to the family
22:33apologised
22:34and had taken the photos
22:35down from social media
22:37here we are today
22:40a free comic conversion
22:41that we're doing
22:42for a gentleman
22:42who's 84 years of age
22:44we also showed James
22:45this video
22:47and he remembered it
22:48you okay to be on this video
22:51or do you not want to be on it
22:52oh god no
22:53no okay
22:54not a problem
22:54what do you want to say
22:57I apologise
22:58I didn't listen to it properly
23:00I should have
23:00cut that part out
23:03or not put it on at all
23:05I should have made sure
23:06that his identification
23:07was not known
23:08I apologise for that
23:10one
23:11two
23:13yeah
23:14three
23:15four
23:17five
23:19it goes on
23:20no no no
23:21it goes on
23:22a man who clearly says
23:24do not use my image
23:26is posted again
23:27and again
23:28and again
23:28I apologise for doing that
23:30there's a reason why
23:31you've done this
23:32and it's
23:33to have
23:34go fund me's
23:35because that's how
23:36we support people
23:36that's how we support people
23:37like him
23:38we told James
23:39we found over 270,000 pounds
23:42raised in donations
23:43connected
23:44to this man's image
23:45you had no permission
23:47to use this man's image
23:48the man is clearly filmed
23:50saying no
23:51right okay
23:52I accept that
23:53will you return this money
23:55I'll return what funding
23:56is connected to that
23:59if the people who have
24:00donated it
24:01want that money back
24:01we've also heard claims
24:08of serious safety concerns
24:10inside DEFA
24:12I do recall
24:14there was a gas explosion
24:16in Burnley
24:17I searched the database
24:19to make sure it wasn't us
24:20that had worked on it
24:21that made me think
24:23that's how dangerous it is
24:25smoking
24:27working on a boiler
24:28with the top off
24:29yeah
24:29do you remember that moment
24:31no but I've seen the picture
24:33the BBC has verified
24:35this DEFA post
24:36about a boiler
24:37that leaks
24:38that can kill someone
24:40in the home
24:41of an elderly lady
24:42who felt sick
24:43the front of the boiler
24:45has been removed
24:46the man working on it
24:48has a lit cigarette
24:50in his mouth
24:51in a later post
24:53James Anderson
24:54says the worker
24:55is a subcontractor
24:57James Anderson
24:59says
24:59that there was
25:00an investigation
25:00into that
25:01the person smoking
25:02was a subcontractor
25:04no
25:04no
25:05he has worked
25:06for DEFA
25:07since
25:08since DEFA
25:10started
25:10Gas Safe
25:12told the BBC
25:13the only worker
25:14registered to install
25:16and service boilers
25:17at DEFA
25:18was James Anderson
25:19what's your reaction
25:21to that
25:21well he shouldn't
25:22have been smoking
25:23the other fag
25:24in his mouth
25:25and your staff member
25:27yes
25:27has got a cigarette
25:28yeah and he got
25:29reprimanded for that
25:30even though the woman
25:31allowed us to smoke
25:32in the house
25:32you say
25:33the last post
25:34was put up
25:36has been deleted
25:37while we look
25:38into the smoking
25:38of a subcontractor
25:41at the property
25:42yeah well
25:45there shouldn't be
25:45a subcontractor
25:46there shouldn't be
25:46a member of the staff
25:48yeah that's misleading
25:51that's a lie
25:53that's a lie
25:54that should have been
25:55a member of the staff
25:56not a subcontractor
25:56James Anderson explained
25:58although the DEFA worker
26:00was not Gas Safe registered
26:02he was with him
26:03at all times
26:04I took the face
26:06off the boiler
26:06I'm there with them
26:07the gas has all been
26:08isolated
26:09it's all been done
26:09it is only undoing
26:11the pipework
26:12you're allowed to have
26:14people that are not
26:15registered working with you
26:16BBC analysis
26:18of 28 fundraising appeals
26:20on sites like
26:21GoFundMe
26:21JustGiving and Crowdfunder
26:23suggest the business
26:24raised at least
26:25£1.2 million
26:27since 2017
26:29we've also
26:32analysed DEFA's accounts
26:34filed on
26:34company's house
26:35they show
26:38DEFA purchased
26:39a property
26:40for £73,000
26:41do you remember
26:43the house being bought
26:44he had talked to me
26:46about it
26:46and I told him
26:47that it wasn't
26:47a good idea
26:48the house
26:49is rented out
26:50to Anderson's
26:51extended family
26:52but when he was
26:53purposely purchasing
26:54that property
26:55to help family members
26:57that's not being
26:58a community
26:58company
26:59that's just
27:00helping family
27:01through a channel
27:02he can use
27:03James Anderson
27:04says the house
27:05is an investment
27:06that benefits
27:07DEFA financially
27:08he added
27:09the family member
27:10staying there
27:11wasn't well
27:12and living
27:12with the carer
27:13he purchased
27:14vehicles
27:15out of
27:17the DEFA
27:19account
27:19we were told
27:21one of those
27:21vehicles
27:22was an Audi
27:23he used it
27:24and drove it
27:25around
27:25used it as
27:26his car
27:27how long
27:30after he bought
27:30it did he sell
27:31it on
27:31roughly
27:32it were
27:34two or three
27:34months
27:35James Anderson
27:37told us
27:38he was entitled
27:39to a company
27:40car
27:40and after it
27:41was sold
27:42all the money
27:43went back
27:44to the DEFA
27:44account
27:45our analysis
27:46shows from
27:47April 2021
27:48to April 2023
27:50cash donations
27:51to the DEFA
27:52doubled
27:52to over
27:531.2 million
27:54pounds
27:55and in April
27:562023
27:57the company
27:58had over
27:58600,000
27:59pounds
28:00in the bank
28:01but just months
28:03earlier
28:03DEFA
28:04appealed
28:04for cash
28:05writing in
28:06a fundraising
28:07page
28:07donations
28:08have fallen
28:09by 80%
28:10in the last
28:11six months
28:11some serious
28:14gymnastic maths
28:15to say that's
28:16gone down
28:16by 80%
28:17it has to
28:18the income
28:20has gone down
28:21by 80%
28:22because of the
28:23trolls
28:23650,000
28:25pounds
28:2521
28:2622
28:271.25
28:28million
28:2922
28:3023
28:31that is
28:32not
28:32an 80%
28:33reduction
28:34it looked like
28:3580% to me
28:36well I said it
28:37ok it might have been
28:38a bit misleading
28:39but the way I do
28:40my maths
28:41the way I do
28:43my maths
28:43is by the whole
28:44scope of everything
28:46it was a mistake
28:47then
28:47I made a mistake
28:48I am only human
28:49people have donated
28:51to you
28:51because they
28:52thought
28:53DEFA was going
28:54to go out
28:55of business
28:56right yeah
28:57I can understand
28:57that
28:58I can understand
28:58that
28:59I can understand
29:00that
29:00James Anderson
29:01also told the BBC
29:02every week
29:04he puts 200
29:05pounds back
29:05into DEFA
29:06from his wage
29:07any donation
29:08money left over
29:09from the financial
29:10year
29:11would be spent
29:12the following year
29:13we spent over
29:14three million pounds
29:15is three million pounds
29:17correct yes or no
29:17I don't know
29:18you don't know
29:19ok
29:19we've helped over
29:21two million people
29:22two million
29:22one hundred and fifty
29:23thousand to be exact
29:24so that's exact
29:26that's exact
29:27that's
29:27yeah they made up
29:28figures so they're
29:29guesstimates
29:29they're guesstimates
29:30yes
29:31yeah
29:31guesstimates
29:32it's Thursday
29:36so we have a
29:37one big thank you
29:38now tonight
29:39it's the turn
29:39of super plumber
29:40James Anderson
29:41James Anderson
29:43the viral sensation
29:44who inspired the nation
29:46now you won't meet
29:47people more remarkable
29:48than the plumber
29:49James Anderson
29:50championed
29:51by the rich and famous
29:52yeah but get this
29:53so far
29:54he's helped over
29:55two million people
29:55across the country
29:56receiving a special award
29:57for his work
29:58and even catching
29:59the attention of actor
30:00Hugh Grant
30:00and his family
30:01showcased
30:02across the British media
30:04I'll apologise
30:04for the rest of my life
30:05for that
30:06what about Hugh Grant
30:07he gave you
30:07£75,000
30:08if Hugh wants the money
30:10back I'll send it back
30:11to him
30:11that's not a problem
30:12that's not an issue
30:13at all
30:13James Anderson
30:16now asking
30:18for forgiveness
30:19yeah I've made mistakes
30:21yeah I've done things
30:22I shouldn't have done
30:23I've posted pictures
30:25and they haven't
30:26safeguarded correctly
30:27I'm going to prove
30:30to everybody
30:31that this can be
30:33the most amazing thing
30:35that it could be
30:36with or without me
30:37it's going to continue
30:38forever
30:39I apologise
30:41I really do apologise
30:43and I hope you can
30:44find it in your heart
30:45to accept that apology
30:46I am really sorry
30:48and I will make amends
30:50I am really sorry