A businessman dubbed “Britain’s kindest plumber” has issued an apology after stories of helping people were allegedly faked online.
James Anderson and his social enterprise ‘Depher’ have posted hundreds of stories on social media since 2019 of elderly, vulnerable, and struggling people they claim to have helped.
The enterprise has attracted at least £2million in donations and drawn celebrity support from singer Lily Allen, Emmerdale actress Samantha Giles, and film star Hugh Grant, who is said to have donated £75,000.
But Depher is now the focus of a BBC investigation alleging that social media stories of benevolent help were faked, and pictures of vulnerable people were used without permission and recycled to raise donations.
Mr Anderson posted his own statement online ahead of the BBC broadcast, apologising for “mistakes” and insisting: “We are taking this very seriously and we are going to change.”
“I’m really really sorry”, he said, before saying his enterprise has changed the way its X account is used and put in place training on safeguarding and data protection.
“If you wish Depher to not continue, please let us know”, Mr Anderson said.
“I can understand the upset and I can understand the harm that may have been inflicted on certain people through mistakes that we have made, and again I apologise for it.”
He then added: “For seven years, my heart has been in this. For seven years we have helped countless people. We have saved countless lives.”
The BBC investigation reveals that Depher, a Burnley-based firm, claimed Mr Anderson had prevented an elderly woman from killing herself, when in fact she had died years earlier.
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The June 2022 post read: “A lady, 84 years old rang @DepherUK & spoke to myself, she was upset and desperate. She lived 53 miles away in #Preston I drive as fast as i could, when in got there she had a noose ready to commit suicide. All she wanted was hot water! #costoflivingcrisis"
The BBC found the image had been used seven times in total by Depher between February 2021 and August 2023, with different ages and locations.
The BBC identified the woman as someone Mr Anderson had helped with a free shower repair, and who had died in February 2020 – a year before her image started to be used online by Depher. The woman’s daughter accused the firm of using her mother’s image as part of a “money-making machine”.
The BBC said Mr Anderson denied making the social media post himself, but conceded it was “not true”.
The social enterprise says it uses donations to provide free food, pay gas and electricity bills, and carry out free plumbing work for those in need. Mr Anderson became a social media sensation and made a string of TV appearances to promote his company’s work, receiving thank you notes from Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III as well as a Pride of Manchester award.
But the BBC says it has discovered a pattern of “misleading and false” social media posts where photos have been reused, and the image of a vulnerable 90-year-old man was used more than 20 times in fundraising posts when he had asked not to be filmed.
A friend of the pensioner told the BBC: “He was a private person, he would never agree to anything like that. I think that’s disgusting. He would hate it.”
Former Depher employees have also raised safety concerns with the BBC, including a staff member picture smoking next to a leaking boiler, and Mr Anderson faces allegations he used company funds to buy a house and cars. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Anderson said: “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.”
The BBC said he denied some of the allegations against him, and insisted the use of company funds had been appropriate.
He also claims to have been the victim of “bullying, harassment and attacks” by people on social media. Mr Anderson told the broadcaster he is willing to return some of the money donated as a result of misleading social media posts.
When asked about large donations such as from Hugh Grant, he added: “If Hugh wants the money back, I’ll send it back to him, not a problem.”
