'I felt I was going to have a heart attack': Holly Lynch MP is right to expose cavity wall scandal: Greg Wright

The cavity wall installation work was carried out incompetently, and the victims faced another blow when a law firm which said it was going to help them gain justice went into administration, leaving the home owners with massive bills.

Ms Lynch told me: "These residents have faced scandal on top of scandal. To firstly have exploitative cowboy companies pump cavity wall insulation into their homes in a reckless and damaging manner, to then be told they owe thousands in legal fees they never agreed to, absolutely stinks. It would seem that only those in receipt of some form of welfare support were initially approached to have the insulation, so we know it's those who can least afford it who are facing these outrageous bills. The Government needs to act."

In her letter to Alex Chalk, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Ms Lynch highlights how SSB Law, which went into administration last month, had been acting on behalf of her constituents in relation to negligently installed cavity wall insulation in their homes. SSB Law approached people on a 'no win, no fee' basis, said Ms Lynch. These claims were dropped and never brought to court and her constituents believed that this was the end of the matter. Since the end of November, enforcement notices have been handed out by the courts with constituents told they are in debt to the insulation firms’ insurance companies for thousands of pounds in incurred costs.

One of Ms Lynch’s constituents, who is one of the victims, said she “nearly had a heart attack” when she received a letter from a solicitor saying she had to pay nearly £7,000. She said: “I don't have good health anyway and this is making my health worse."

A Solicitors Regulation Authority spokesperson said: “We are aware of the concerns of many householders and are investigating these issues. We understand a number have already contacted both the Legal Ombudsman and Financial Services Ombudsman to complain about the standard of service they have received.”

The Yorkshire Post has contacted the former directors of SSB via the administrators and SRA. They didn’t respond to our request for comment. A spokesperson for RSA – the insurance company cited in Ms Lynch’s letter – said it had paused enforcement action and is working with all parties involved in the administration process to “understand a way forward”. Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, said she was “very sorry to hear about this ongoing situation” and her office was ready to help Ms Lynch.

Given the scale of this terrible saga, the Government should establish a judge-led inquiry into the chain of events which has left these law-abiding people in despair. Lessons must be learned and the innocent protected.

Greg Wright is the deputy business editor of The Yorkshire Post