As a British Person on the French Riviera I have just had a very bad experience with a company called Gordon's New Dawn, the owner being Gordon Riseborough (I think it is a one man band) and wanted to share my experience with other Anglophones people living here.

I found Gordons New Dawn through Anglo Info, an internet site for anglophones living abroad many of you will be familiar with.

He invoiced me for all of the work we had agreed to be carried out and signed a document confirming the exact works the invoice related to together with a date the works would be finished by. He came accross as very plausable and persuaded me to agree to paying for nearly half of the works to be carried out as he said he had to get materials.

The workmanship on the first day was very worrying (the concrete floor screed cracked in approximately 40 places within hours of being laid, which he tried to assure me was normal)

1500 kilos of materials of the wrong building product for the job were delivered (the manufacturer, Lankosol, told me the product he had ordered wasn't suitable for the job in hand), despite this, Gordon continued to insist that the product was suitable.

He then agreed he would exchange the materials for the product the manufacturer recommended, order the new materials and get on with the job. This would mean a 10 day delay as the product had to be ordered.

He removed the materials which had already delivered, then told me he wouldn't be finishing the job, or be replacing the materials as he didn't like me being in my flat and watching him work, but would refund half of the money I had paid him.

I wanted him to finish the job he had invoiced me for, but reluctantly agreed as I felt I had no choice as he was refusing to complete the works and as a single woman, I also felt quite intimidated by him. Not only did he refuse to finish the job, but then didn't give me any money back as he had said he would, ignored my phone calls and emailed me a newly created invoice for the 2000 Euros I had already given him, completely changing the details of what he had originally agreed to do for the money on his original invoice, basically making out that he owed me nothing.

I now find myself back to square one, 2000.00 Euros out of pocket, having to find someone to finish off what he started (which is going to cost me the same as if the job hadn't been started in the first place) and of course will be at least a month late in moving into my appartment because of this.

I am looking at legal recourse, as I do have photographs, a signed contract and the original invoice, however in the meantime, I want to warn other English people living in the South of France, particularly the 06 area and Monaco as he is based in Roquebrune Cap Martin, that I would recommend you to stay well clear of GORDON'S NEW DAWN and the owner Gordon Riseborough.