Dear LPG,

I have never been a DIY enthusiast, and now it is too late for me to change, but yesterday I saw something so disappointing that I felt the need to take a picture for readers to see.

I went to visit a friend of mine who lives in the top flat of a converted house in Brockley.  He knew that I was coming but, in spite of having an intercom that operates the bell at the front door of the building, he was waiting for me with the front door open when I arrived. He pointed out that the door had been painted and he wanted to make sure that I did not get any paint on my clothing as I entered.

The door was the same colour as before and there was a fair amount of dust near the bottom which indicated to me that the decorator’s paintbrush had not even come into contact with that part of the door at all.  It was also interesting that there was a line of white dots forming a border all the way around the door even though it had been newly painted.

I asked about this and my friend informed me that neither he or the people living in the lower flat had seen the painter at work as the work had already been done before they were aware.  They both knew that it was scheduled for some time soon but were not actually told which day to expect its completion.

This means that the painter did not even do his job with the door open which explained the unpainted border and no undercoat had been used.

I don’t know much about decorating, but I think that the question needs to be asked, “What are the council letting their sub-contractors get away with these days?”

WB, New Cross