Woman, 82, says British tourists who ‘wreaked havoc’ across New Zealand took £4,600 from her to fix her roof while they were out there – then vanished without doing the work
- Heidrun Leonard, 82, said three men fleeced her out of thousands at NZ home
- OAP recognised their faces when traveller family made headlines this month
- Police investigating and said more had come forward with similar complaints
A pensioner claims the infamous British tourists who ‘wreaked havoc’ across New Zealand fleeced her out of thousands of pounds after she paid them to fix her roof.
Heidrun Leonard, 82, said three men charged her £4,600 to mend a hole in her roof before vanishing without doing the work.
Ms Leonard came forward after recognising their faces when the traveller family made headlines earlier this month for a spate of offences that saw the Mayor of Auckland label them ‘worse than pigs’.
Heidrun Leonard, 82, has accused a trio of Brits of fleecing her out of £4,600 to fix her roof
Original sin: This mess left behind at Takapuna Beach near Auckland (left) sparked a social media firestorm. Family spokesman Joe Doran, on right, was there but there is no suggestion he was involved in scamming Ms Leonard
‘I was outside, they passed by and they said “we would be able to get your roof alright,” and I didn’t know there was something wrong with it but I thought it wouldn’t be too bad,’ she told NewsHub New Zealand.
‘I let them in and showed them where my paint came off in the toilet and bathroom a bit and thought it might need to be a bit dried up and they said “yes, we can do that”.
‘They said if they want to work with these machines they would have to pay $8800 and after they have done the job, I would get the money back, and they disappeared with the $8800.’
It’s not clear who in the group German-born Ms Leonard is referring to, and there is no suggestion it is anyone pictured in this article.
The Doran family returning to the UK after being deported from New Zealand following public backlash
The now infamous family were accused of trashing a beach, leaving a cafe without paying, damaging their apartment and allegedly stealing a journalist’s phone.
Ms Leonard said she was scammed by the family on January 4 – nine days before a littering incident on Takapuna beach on January 13 sparked global interest in them.
After they approached her, she decided to show them a small patch where paint was coming away from her ceiling.
They made a hole to inspect the ceiling and asked for an up-front deposit before making off with the cash.
Police confirmed an investigation into the incident is underway and revealed they’ve received several complaints similar to Ms Leonard’s.