A FAMILY from Warminster are outraged by the treatment they are receiving from Virgin Media when an engineer left their house in chaos after being called out to fit a new internet router.

Lyndsay and Paul Challoner, who live in Manor Gardens with their four-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, were shocked to discover that an engineer had left loose hanging wires, a hole in their door and mud on a new carpet after visiting to fit a new wi-fi box.

Mrs Challoner, 29, who works as a hairdresser, said: “The engineer came on February 7 and he had a really bad attitude. He said that the job was bigger than he was told and that he didn’t want to do it. Me and my mother-in-law were gobsmacked. I asked if he wanted a cup of tea and tried to keep out of his way.

“I came upstairs to give him his cup of tea and there was mud all over the new carpet in my daughter’s room. I asked if he should be using his boot protectors that were by the front door and he said probably. When my husband came back his attitude changed entirely, he was really friendly, a completely different person. He handed me the bill and then left.”

Not long after the engineer had left the house, Mrs Challoner realised that a number of things had been drilled through and damaged.

“He drilled through the wall and the cable was put through the front of the house instead of the side, it is hanging down by our front door. He had also put holes in the new skirting board and left a lot of the wires loose. There were also holes in my daughter’s bedroom wall and her wardrobe won’t close properly,” Mrs Challoner added.

“A manager from Virgin came to the house and said it was the worst job he had ever seen carried out at someone’s home. We can’t use our phone because the line was cut and we cannot watch TV, which isn’t very important but you notice there is no background noise.”

Since then, Mrs Challoner has been in a battle with Virgin over the cost of the damage to her home, being told that the cost was her responsibility.

“I was told that it is our builder’s fault and they seemed to not be taking responsibility. My daughter has actually tripped up on one of the cables that the engineer had left loose. It has been nearly 19 days and I am still clashing with them about it,” she said.

A spokesman for Virgin Media said: "Virgin Media is committed to ensuring a high quality of work for new installations and apologises to Mrs Challoner for any inconvenience caused. We are currently working with Mrs Challoner to repair any damage caused during the installation of services."