A West Cumbrian roofer has launched a very public protest after he claims a major engineering firm has failed to pay him for over three months.
Kevin Norman, who runs K Norman Roofing and Cladding, has parked a van outside TSP Engineering in Workington with a poster attached, which says: “TSP Engineering don’t pay their bills. Management don’t answer their phones.”
The self-employed roofer says he has worked on an 18-month contract for the firm – but has now been waiting 120 days for his latest payment.
However, TSP chief executive John Coughlan said: “When you do the work, you get paid. The work wasn’t up to standard. There was no problem for several months then water started coming through the roof in several places – the guttering and roof had not been cleared. He then told us the roof wasn’t safe.”
Mr Norman claimed he has had no contact with TSP – a claim Mr Coughlan disputes.
Mr Norman said: ““I got sick of phoning and going down there and that’s what made me put the sign up because I was so annoyed they wouldn’t talk to us.
“That sign will be left there every day until we get an answer.”
Mr Norman claimed the firm told him it was waiting for Mr Coughlan to approve the payment but he was away.
He said: “They phoned the CEO while I was there and he said when I come back in next week, can you tell Mr Norman we will pay his invoice.
“So, the following week, I phoned up again and he wouldn’t answer the phone to us. I sent him messages, emailed him and he didn’t reply and this went on for two weeks, which is when we put the sign up.”
Mr Coughlan said the firm had been in contact with Mr Norman.
Mr Norman added that he had never been told there was an issue with its work – which again Mr Coughlan disputes.
Mr Norman said: “We’re a small business and it’s a large sum of money. We’re only a small company and we need it for wages to pay our tax and staff and our insurance liabilities.”
He declined to disclose the amount of money owned, but added he was taking legal action over non-payment.
