James Anderson: Burnley Depher boss accused of faking stories of good deeds to raise millions refuses to step down

James Anderson, who runs Depher CIC, has admitted to making "mistakes" that caused harm to the families of vulnerable people whose pictures were used multiple times without permission in misleading social media posts.

They included the same image of a dead woman, whom Depher falsely claimed it saved from suicide, and a victim of domestic abuse, whom James accused of theft without evidence, pictured with her young child and baby.

A shocking BBC investigation has also accused James, dubbed "Britain's kindest plumber", of spending company money on items like a car and a £73,125 house occupied by a member of his extended family.

Despite apologising to the victims and vowing the safeguarding issues “will never happen again," James says he will remain at the helm of Depher.

"I’m not going to stop. A lot of people hate us, but we're going to continue. There are still people who need us and can’t get support from anywhere else. If we decide to shut up shop, where will that put those people who can’t get help?

"I’m going to continue working at Depher, I’ll be one of the directors but I’m going to get other directors in."

The CIC went viral posting hundreds of stories online about its work providing free plumbing services to elderly and disabled people, as well as helping to pay for food, gas, and electricity bills for people in need over the years.

But the BBC investigation revealed that the CIC re-used the image of a deceased woman named Joyce seven times in total between February 2021 and August 2023, with different ages and locations. James claimed he had saved Joyce from suicide but the BBC confirmed that she died in February 2020, more than a year before Depher began using her image.

Talking about the posts, James said: “I don’t know how that happened. That shocked me."

His firm also published footage and images of a vulnerable man in his 90s in fundraising posts more than 20 times, including information about his sexuality. This is despite the man denying requests by Depher to film him, and his solicitor saying he was too vulnerable to give informed consent.

James claims the man "said in front of us we could use the pictures, even though I should have been more delicate and more understanding about what we put."

However, one former employee said many people did not consent to having their photos used on social media, and the company would receive complaints from relatives, according to the BBC.

James claims the firm has now undertaken safeguarding training, employed a new social media manager, and is working with the Fundraising Regulator and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

"There are issues there with safeguarding, stories that should have been told completely differently. I held my hands up, and we have changed things."

To the vulnerable victims and their families, he said: “I apologise. I’m sorry. It will never happen again. We have now got documents that people sign if we take a photo."

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

"He wasn’t there to do work on the boiler. He’s a bathroom fitter.

“He shouldn’t have done it but the customer said he could smoke. There was no gas in the boiler. It was disconnected the week before the picture was taken. The customer gave him permission to smoke because she was smoking."

BBC analysis of Depher's company accounts reveals that the firm brought in at least £2m. in donations during the cost-of-living crisis. Celebrities like singer Lily Allen, Emmerdale actress Samantha Giles, and Hollywood actor Hugh Grant reportedly donated huge sums, with the latter giving £75,000.

Regarding the purchases of a house and car using company cash, James said: "As a CIC, we’re allowed to have a company car. We use it to pick up customers and drop them off if they can’t get home.

"We didn’t buy [the house] with donations but with residual profits. The tenant is from my extended family. The CIC regulator is aware of this. When the tenant moves, which they will, it’s going to be turned into a homeless shelter or house for people coming out of domestic violence. The CIC regulator is happy with this.

"Everything we do with the CIC regulator, who is the only person we answer to, we’ve done right.”

The BBC also revealed that cash donations doubled to more than £1.2m. from April 2021 to April 2023. And Depher had more than £643,000 in cash in April 2023.

This is despite James regularly posting on social media that the CIC would cut its services without more support. He also claimed on an online fundraising page in January 2023 that donations had dropped by 80%.

"We have three pots: one which is just plumbing; one for boilers; and another for food, gas, and electricity. The Next Energy Foundation gave us £40,000 for gas, food, and electricity for the public from 2022 to 2023. When a pot is depleted, and we have no money left in it, I’ll put a post out."

Anybody who has been impacted by this issue can contact the Burnley Express at [email protected] or [email protected]

For consumer advice on how to verify your plumber, and what to do if you have any concerns, visit www.ciphe.org.uk