'Hero' plumber apologises as he is accused of faking stories for money

A Liverpool-born plumber dubbed the country's "kindest" faked stories of helping people as his firm raised millions in donations, according to the BBC.

James Anderson founded DEPHER (Disabled and Elderly Heating Emergency Repairs), a charity set up to help people keep their boilers and heating running amid the cost of living crisis. Mr Anderson previously said he was "crying every day" when he saw how some people were being forced to live.

DEPHER also provides food for people and even buys nappies.

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But the social enterprise has been found to have used vulnerable people's photos without consent, and Mr Anderson spent company cash on a house and a car. Mr Anderson denied some of the allegations put to him by the BBC, but admitted: "I have made mistakes".

DEPHER had claimed Mr Anderson prevented one elderly woman from killing herself, but she had died years early, the BBC reports.

Mr Anderson, who now lives in Burnley, has received letters of thanks from the late Queen and the King, as well as a Pride of Manchester award. He has also appeared on shows such as Good Morning Britain and Sky News, and described as “Britain’s kindest plumber”.

Stories of the people he helped went viral, and a BBC analysis of his company accounts show DEPHER brought in at least £2m in donations. Celebrities such as Lily Allen and Hugh Grant were reportedly among the donors.

The BBC claims its investigation found:

• Multiple examples of DEPHER recycling the same photos in misleading and false posts, including several using the same image of a dead woman

• A victim of domestic abuse, who was pictured on social media with her young child and baby, was accused of theft - without evidence - by DEPHER

• DEPHER funds were used to purchase a house and Mr Anderson also admitted to buying a car with company cash

• DEPHER posted video and images of a vulnerable man in his 90s in fundraising posts more than 20 times, publicising information about his sexuality, despite the man pleading "God no" when asked if he would agree to be filmed

• Former employees raised safety concerns after one staff member was pictured smoking a cigarette next to a leaking boiler

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.

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