Trader's Claim "Too Small" to get Compensation from Gas Company

11.09.24am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 20th Nov 2007

A local business in St Margarets, Sunshine and Ravioli, suffered £2500 of lost profit during the recent gas replacement work in Crown Road, East Twickenham; but the proprietor's claim for compensation has been turned down by the National Grid - which runs the gas distribution system - because it is too small!

Vincent Cable has asked the head of the company to "take a fresh look at the case which seems very unfair to a local trader. The National Grid will only look at cases where losses are over 10% of turnover. But a £2500 loss is a big sum for a small trader and the loss is not in any way his fault. This whole job of work was a mess, taking many months to complete, and there was vast disruption to local trade. To be told now that there is no compensation is adding insult to injury"

Contact Michael Olsen - Sunshine and Ravioli 109 St Margarets Road (tel 8892 7563)