'Britain's kindest plumber' misled the public with photos of vulnerable customers and engaged in 'controversial fundraising', a regulator found today.
James Anderson, from Burnley, Lancashire, became an Internet hero after sharing photos of himself fixing vulnerable customers' boilers for free on behalf of his community interest company (CIC) Depher.
Hugh Grant was previously reported to have donated tens of thousands of pounds to the company, which had pledged to help elderly people and those in financial need with free plumbing tasks.
In 2022, an elderly couple given a new boiler for free likened Mr Anderson to an 'angel in disguise'.
But, last year, a BBC investigation saw the organisation accused of faking stories of good deeds to raise millions of pounds, with the broadcaster saying the CIC had used images of vulnerable people without their consent and faked stories about acts of kindness.
