- EDF engineers broke into mother’s flat to fit pre-payment meter this week
- Mother-of-two says they broke off a lock which left the flat insecure
- Burglars are then believed to have entered and taken Christmas gifts
|
250
View
comments
A young mother has accused power company EDF of ruining her children’s Christmas. Kim Baggott, 22, was out when workmen broke into her flat to install a pre-payment meter because she was in arrears. She claims they later left her home insecure, allowing burglars to break in and steal her children’s Christmas presents, along with laptops belonging to her and her former partner Sam Magrowski.
Kim Baggott, pictured with ex-partner Sam Magrowski and children Ellie, five, and Jamie, three, is furious that her house was broken into after EDF engineers entered to fit a meter
The distraught mother said: ‘I don’t know what we are going to do. I don’t have any insurance.’
She said the engineers and then the burglar got into the third floor flat in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire some time on Monday. EDF say the family had been given notice that the meter was to be installed, that a warrant had been issued beforehand and that the property had been left secure after the professional locksmith had enabled them to enter the home. However, Ms Baggott says that when she returned home with children Ellie, five, and Jamie, three, in the afternoon she found her door was ajar and her home had been raided.
Ms Baggott said: ‘I knew I was going to have a meter installed because of the arrears, but I had no idea that they were coming on Monday. I had taken the kids to school, went to the bank and to my mum’s.
‘When I saw what happened I was in pieces. We had a deadlock installed for security, but the workmen broke that. It meant there was just any ordinary Yale, which anyone can open with a bank card.
‘They took mine and Sam’s laptops, an old phone and the presents that I have been collecting for my children all year. I have wrapped them all up in stockings and put them in two boxes in sacks. ‘
The family say engineers removed a lock from their front door which allowed burglars to enter. EDF say the hole above the lock was already there when workers arrived
The company entered the flat to install a pre-payment metre after a debt was built up
She added: ‘A policewoman asked me to put a value on the presents but I can’t. I had got a Scooby Doo set and a Batman car for Jamie and a Tsum Tsum play set for Ellie.
‘There were slippers and colouring book and lots other things for their stockings that I had picked up during the year. We haven’t got much but I wanted to make Christmas special for them.
‘My laptop has gone as that has all my pictures of the children as babies on it. So I have lost them.’
Thames Valley Police Scenes of Crime Officers have visited the flat and taken fingerprints from the cupboard door where the presents were kept. Mr Magrowski, 27, a car body repairer, said: ‘EDF did not have a warrant and they gave no notice. They even used my own hammer to install the meter and broke the door in the process. ‘
Ms Baggott said she was shattered when she came home and realised what had happened
Pictured: The couple’s flat block.
EDF can enter homes where customers have not paid bills
‘If they had not broken in the burglary wouldn’t have happened. They should have left the flat secure.
‘EDF said they are investigating and we have to be patient. How can I be patient with Christmas only three weeks away. We’ve no money left to pay for more Christmas presents for the kids. ‘They have ruined Christmas for my children.’
An EDF spokesman said: ‘We are sorry to hear about the burglary at Ms Baggott s flat. EDF Energy visited the property on 28 November to install a pre-payment gas meter as part of our debt recovery processes – Ms Baggott s account has been in arrears since 2013 and Ms Baggott has not signed up to a repayment plan.
‘A warrant was sought to gain entry for this work and all necessary procedures were followed, including advising Ms Baggott about this action by letter prior to the event.
‘Whilst Ms Baggott was not at the property during the installation, we can confirm that the existing lock was not damaged to gain entry and the property was left secure as it was found.’
A statement on the firm’s website says they may install a pre-payment meters at the homes of customers who have had difficulties paying their bills.
It states: ‘The first course of action we’ll take if you refuse to let us fit a prepayment meter will be to send you a written warning.
‘If, following several similar warnings, we still haven’t heard from you or you remain unwilling to have a meter fitted, we may ask a Magistrates’ Court for a warrant of entry.
‘If granted, this gives us the right to enter your property without permission to either fit a prepayment meter or, in some cases disconnect the supply.’
- SHARE PICTURE