Window Cleaning News

One of the largest window cleaning firms in the UK secures £3m in growth capital.

Window cleaner gets a £3m boost from BGF: Nationwide Window Cleaning, one of the largest window cleaning firms in the UK, has secured £3m in growth capital from BGF, the £2.5bn fund backed by Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and Standard Chartered. NWC, headquartered in Harrogate, cleans windows for commercial, retail and public sector clients across the UK.

It has cleaned the grime from the British Museum and currently works with Asda and RBS.

The cash will be invested into sales, marketing and operational infrastructure. It will also be used to expand the company’s “abseiling” division, by hiring new recruits to scale skyscrapers across Britain.

Founded in 2009 by Thornton Tasker, the £10m turnover company is planning to grow revenues to £50m within five years.

“This is the right time to expand,” he told the Telegraph. “Demand for our service continues to gain momentum and we are in a strong position to grow.” The company’s core business is window cleaning but to survive during the recession, NWC expanded into niches such as ATM cleaning and bespoke services, such and chewing gum and graffiti removal. “Many of our clients downscaled during the recession,” said Mr Tasker. “They were looking for areas where they could save money. But we are now seeing the clients who cut their budgets looking to reinvest.”

Filthy windows are a consumer deterrent, he claimed. “Ours is a high impact service and it’s often only when it’s cut back that a client realises how important it is.” The business currently carries out over 30,000 tasks a month, and increasingly offers an “on-demand” service for its customers. “We can be at the site within a couple of hours,” says Tasker, who employs more than 200 people nationwide. BGF’s Neil Inskip, who will manage the NWC investment, said of the business: “In a relatively short amount of time, NWC has become an industry leader in a market with significant opportunities, making the business well placed to build on existing contracts.”

A plucky paramedic was hailed a hero yesterday after he squeezed his way through a tiny window to rescue a disabled pensioner who was trapped inside her home. Archie McCorkell found himself in a tight spot as he swung into action to help the stricken OAP, who had been spotted lying on the floor at a house in the Gallowhill area of Paisley. It’s understood the elderly woman had lain there overnight after suffering a fall and was unable to call for help but was discovered by an eagle-eyed window cleaner the following afternoon.

When the emergency services arrived at the scene, they couldn’t gain access to the house because the door was bolted shut. However, 44-year-old Paisley medic Archie soon hatched a plan to rescue the pensioner. “We could see the old lady inside the house, lying on the floor, and there was a great deal of concern for her welfare but there was no key for the front door and it was pretty sturdy, so the firefighters were having problems getting in. “I noticed that one of the wee hopper windows in the back was slightly ajar, so I said to the fire crew guys ‘If you can get that window off, I’ll try to squeeze through.’

Once inside, dad-of-three Archie was quickly able to reach the OAP, who appeared to be suffering from hypothermia. He said: “I’m just thankful the window cleaner spotted her in the first place and that I was able to get through that wee window to give her the attention she required.” The elderly woman, who has asked not to be named, was taken to Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital for treatment but is now on the mend.

Bring back the window cleaners: A little over a year ago, a story mentioned that Morrisons had cancelled window cleaning at its stores to save money. This may seem inconsequential, but it is part of a wider fall in standards in its supermarkets. Customers notice seemingly minor things like the windows not being clean. For all the talk about dramatic changes in shopping habits, the main reason for the problems facing Morrisons and its rivals has been poor execution within stores. Look at the impact Dave Lewis has had at Tesco simply by making sure the most popular products are always on the shelves and adding more shop assistants on the shop floor. Standards have also slipped in Morrisons’ offices. Last year a member of staff was arrested for leaking payroll data and the former treasurer and head of tax was charged with insider trading for buying shares in Ocado just before the online partnership with Morrisons was announced. These are extraordinary and unacceptable lapses for a FTSE 100 company.

Window Cleaner James Robertson gets 5 years in prison in fatal window fall case:  A Saint John man has been sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the death of a man who fell from a third-storey window in the city's uptown in November. James Robertson, 31, had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal fall of Wayne Saunders from an apartment on Peters Street. Robertson was also sentenced to six months, to be served concurrently, after pleading guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Saunders' sister.

Saunders was killed when he intervened to protect his sister from Robertson, who had her pinned up against a wall with his hands around her neck on Nov. 13. Saunders' sister read a victim impact statement aloud in the Saint John provincial courtroom on Wednesday. "Looking at Wayne in that hospital bed is all I see," she said. "I hate living this way." "I don't often tell people how I feel … I miss my brother."

Three other people submitted written victim impact statements. Robertson also addressed the court. "I would like to apologize to the family," he said. "I am remorseful and wish this did not happen." Crown prosecutor Rebekah Logan said Robertson has accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed remorse. He did not intend to kill, but did intend to assault, she said. The five-year sentence was a joint recommendation of the Crown and defence lawyer David Lutz, who was sick on Wednesday. His colleague, Carley Parish, stepped in. She said Robertson is a father of two and had a job as a window washer. Judge Andrew Palmer accepted the joint recommendation.

The charges stemmed from what police had described as a "violent altercation" between Robertson and Saunders. When Robertson attacked Saunders' sister and she cried out for help, Saunders, who was in a neighbouring apartment, tried to pull Robertson off of her, the courtroom had heard. He then stabbed Robertson in the back two or three times. A friend took Robertson outside to tend to his wounds, but Robertson went back inside and punched Saunders several times before Saunders fell through a window. He was unconcscious and bleeding from the head when his sister called 911. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at about 7 p.m. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. He also suffered a fractured pelvis.

Abseiling window cleaners fly down Clapham Court flats in Gloucester: Have you ever wondered how the outside windows on the 70th floor of a block of flats gets cleaned? Well wonder no more – the answer is abseiling window cleaners. Staffordshire-based company Total Access UK specialises in abseil window cleaning and employee Paul Higgins was in Gloucester this week helping to clean up Clapham Court flats in Alvin Street. Mr Higgins flew down the 10-story block of flats cleaning each window as he went. The company has established itself as the forefront of its industry due to its unrivalled experience in providing safe, quality solutions to difficult access problems. Its contracts range from some of the highest office blocks in the country through to residential flats, penthouses and atriums.

Sacked window cleaner took revenge on his boss: A window cleaner took revenge on his former boss by smashing windows on three of his vans with a hammer after he was dismissed, a magistrates’ court was told. Jonathan Yates was annoyed because he believed his ex-employer had let him go as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Yates, 26, of Lindsay Court, New Road, St Annes, pleaded guilty to causing damage when he appeared before the court. He was sentenced to a four-week tagged curfew from 10pm to 6am and ordered to pay £180 compensation by Blackpool magistrates. Adrian Hollamby, prosecuting, said the incident happened on February 6 this year at about 11pm. He told the court Yates broke windows on three vans belonging to his former boss, causing an estimated £2,000 of damage.

Yates told police when interviewed that he was feeling very emotional at the time because he felt he had been sacked without reason. Martin Hillson, defending, said Yates had joined the Army at 17 and spent almost a decade in the military, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he left the Army last year he had difficulties adapting to civilian life and had a number of jobs in that time. In October the 
complainant told Yates he was having trouble getting appropriate staff for his window cleaning business and he took the defendant on. In January, without notice, or a proper explanation, Yates was dismissed despite no customers appearing to be dissatisfied with his work. He had debts and at the time of the offence was suffering from depression.

Giveaways are an admittedly unusual approach for McVitie’s and the wider biscuit category. However the promotional mechanic was the perfect way to link in-store creative to the brand’s popular TV ads, where cute animals are used to convey the “sweet” appeal of the biscuit category, to stores, added Heynen.

A new ad develops the theme, playfully incorporating the cuddly toys from the on-pack promotion. Set to the theme of classic series “Murder She Wrote”, the 20-second ad sees a pair of window cleaners staring longingly at the toys on the other side of a window they’re washing.

The ad forms a key part of a campaign plan similar to the one McVitie’s employed last year that generated 87 per cent ROI on media spend. Social will play a slightly bigger role this time round with those fans who were the most vocal about the animals this time last year set to receive special shout outs online. The ad is part of a £3 million promotional campaign that launches today, and will run for three weeks.

Teen takes on world's toughest job in BBC3 show: It may have been described as one of the world’s toughest jobs but when Warrington Collegiate student Stephen Greenall became a skyscraper window cleaner, he knew his nerves were going to be sky-high. But, as the 19-year-old braved the draw-dropping heights to clean some of the tallest buildings in Canada, his experiences were caught on camera as part of BBC3 World’s Toughest Jobs.

He said: “Travel is in my blood. I studied it for three years, have done voluntary work in South America and wanted to do more. “The World’s Toughest Jobs seemed perfect so I was delighted when I got the call saying ‘come down to London, we want to see you in person.’ “Then they told me I was going to Toronto as a skyscraper window cleaner. I was shocked, excited, nervous and speechless.”

He even managed to brave nauseating heights to clean the second largest building in Toronto, the Plaza Bank Building. “It was extremely tough. The cameras were on from when you got up to 10.30pm at night. It certainly wasn’t all plain sailing. “At times I just wanted to be back with my friend on the cabin crew course at Warrington Collegiate. "I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, but am so glad I stayed the full three weeks. “I proved something to everyone. I can do it. I even got offered the job.”

Stephen, who says he has made life-long friends with his co-stars Dom and Darci, believes the show has given him a new perspective and banished his fear of heights. He added: “When I was working up so high I felt like I could see the whole world. It was absolutely breathtaking. “As you climb up the ladders you open this little door and all you see is blue sky. The sun feels amazingly close. It just leaves you speechless.” Stephen’s episode is set to be broadcast on Tuesday, March 10, at 9pm on BBC3.

More than £100,000 of Wigan taxpayers’ money has been saved after two major compo bids against the council were defeated in court. In a second case a school cleaner attempted to sue the council for £39,500 after she fell while stood on a chair while cleaning window ledges. She claimed she should have been provided with ladders. However, in the witness box at Wigan County Court the cleaner admitted that she knew it was dangerous to stand on the chair. The court also heard that other cleaners had been told in their training that they should not climb. Ladders were only provided to school staff who had received ladder training such as caretakers and the site superviser. The case was dismissed. Coun Paul Kenny, Wigan Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “If successful these completely misleading claims would have cost Wigan borough taxpayers more than £100,000 of their money. “Thankfully, we have robust systems in place to defend exaggerated and fraudulent claims against the council.

JobQuotes.com connects projects with pros: Brandon Large worked in the construction industry for more than a decade. Over the years, he was asked for referrals for window washers, repairmen and more by his clients and friends. The 37-year-old Aliso Viejo resident turned that network into a crowdsourcing website called JobQuotes.com, which connects people and their projects with service providers in Southern California. Unlike the referral service giant Angie’s List, Large’s site skips the subscriber fee and is free for users.

Here’s how JobQuotes works: Say you need someone to install surround sound in your home. A customer can skip the phone calls and post the job specifications at the website where professionals will offer quotes for the project instead. Customers can specify they want a licensed individual, Large said. The website launched last summer and has since seen about 2,000 professionals join the network. Large estimates the jobs lined up through the site have translated to roughly $1.3 million in business for his professional members.

A cleaning company which started up a year ago has celebrated with a giveaway to its 1,000th customer and a new relationship with a Bristol-based charity. Gleem, which started life in January last year as Tidy and Shiny under managing director Joe Edwards, has also moved into new offices in King Street. And as it hopes to cap off a great first year, the firm will be entering this year's Bristol Post Business Awards. The company is working with Frank Water, a Montpelier-based charity which supports and funds clean water projects in India, by donating one per cent of its profits. Gleem gave away a bottle of bubbly and some bottles of Frank Water to Esta Porter of Southville, who was the company's 1,000th customer.

Since starting up a year ago, Gleem now has an office of staff looking after its 20 cleaners who operate in offices and homes around Bristol and Bath. During the next 12 months it plans to diversify into window cleaning and carpet cleaning and is asking customers to suggest other services it can provide, such as dog walking or garden landscaping. Joe said: "Growing Gleem and keeping the service modern and interesting has been really enjoyable, plus it has enabled us to support Frank Water, a local charity here in Bristol. "Personally, I've enjoyed developing new skills which have come from creating a startup. I'm pleased with the tone and service Gleem sets. The industry seemed to be missing a simple yet fun cleaning brand and now we are filling that gap."

A Barry grandfather’s 30 year quest to visit all 50 USA states is one stop away from its journey end with Alaska’s wilds yet to explore. In January 62-year-old grandfather-of-six and dad of three, John Viney, returned from a visit to his 49th State of Hawaii, the 50th State to be declared, and is hoping to complete his odyssey by stepping into Alaska - the 49th US state to be declared - this year. But his travel clean-up operation, which has seen him inside prisons alongside the normal tourist hotspots, began when a South Wales company made an error with a product based travel deal.

Cadoxton resident John, who owns a window cleaning business, said: “My first ever visit to America was courtesy of the famous Hoover flights offer that gained notoriety in the 1990s when customers buying a product over £100 could get two free tickets to New York. I bought two vacuum cleaners for my business and qualified for four airline tickets so that I was able to take my father and two daughters to The Big Apple. On that trip we also visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and drove up to Canada. I had no idea then that I would get the urge to repeat trips but did really fall in love with the country and its people.”

John said it was impossible to name a favourite State, but memorable visits include the Grand Canyon in Arizona, having been three times, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and fun at Florida’s theme parks and the Everglades. John and his wife spent three weeks driving Route 66, two years ago, taking the older roads where possible, and visiting ghost towns no longer on the main highways.

John, who volunteers at Cardiff prison, has a fascination with USA jails and with special permission has toured San Quentin, Folsom, Sing Sing, and Atlanta Penitentiary. “Touring San Quentin,” he said. “I had to wear stab vest and sign waiver for that would not be negotiated for if taken captive. “Last year I spent a day at Huntsville in Texas where they execute their death row prisoners, and only last month in Hawaii went to Halawa Correctional Facility for a morning. Retired prisons I have visited such as Alcatraz and the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia have also been fascinating for their historical importance.” “So next - Alaska. It will take some planning but if all goes well, I hope we may complete our 50 States project by the end of the year.”

Clowns, window cleaners and seagulls: What the people of Manchester are afraid of: Former England cricketer and TV personality Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff admitted at the weekend that he was afraid of the dark. The dad-of-three revealed that leaving the landing light on was more for his benefit, than for this children.

The revelation by the star, who will present his new show, which involved him touring the country in a fish and chip van, prompted you to tell us what weird and wonderful things - as adults too - you are scared of. The predictable spider and snake fears were there but some of you are afraid of some much more unusual things. From clowns and seagulls to vomiting and even window cleaners, we’ve selected some of your fears from Facebook.

Train operator Abellio Greater Anglia is planning to clean up its act by employing a team of on-board cleaners to provide "a clean and pleasant travelling environment" for commuters. The company has employed 56 additional cleaners, 40 of whose job will be to ensure that litter is removed from trains and that on-board toilet facilities are kept clean. They will board trains seven days a week at various times during the day and night. In addition, 10 temporary staff will focus on de-icing train doors during cold mornings to prevent cancellations and will assist with general on-train cleaning as the weather improves. The mobile cleaners will wear high-visibility tabards with ‘Train Presentation’ on the back.

An £30,000 investment in new cleaning equipment means that the team will use rechargeable hand-held and back-pack vacuum cleaners to remove crumbs and debris from seats and floors. In addition to the on-train cleaning, four additional temporary staff in the exterior train cleaning team are helping to improve the appearance of the company's fleet of Electric Multiple Unit trains, cleaning them by hand, carrying out additional screen and window cleaning and replacing damaged seat covers. The trains operate on Greater Anglia’s routes from London Liverpool Street through Harlow to Stansted Airport and Cambridge.

Zip-Tie Snow-Chains Invention Is Fantastic! Don't Get Stranded In The Snow: Here's something new and creative!  After growing up and learning to drive in the snow, we had to always be ready to yank out the chains and put them on.  Chains are heavy, and once you lose the box they came in, or you mix up the sets between the cars during summer storage, it's easy not to have them with you at the start of winter.  Chains are specifically fit to the tire size.  This is one great idea that isn't heavy, that is a fits all solution, and goes great in the glove box or a small bag in the car to keep year round as a great emergency solution.  Check it out.

Zip Grip Go is an innovative traction aid for drivers who want or need the assurance of chains but prefer the convenience zip ties.  Zip Grip Go installs in just minutes by simply threading our patented zip ties through your tires and securing with the locking head.  Designed for short distances and at low speeds,  Zip Grip Go has been thoroughly tested and has been proven to get drivers safely out of an emergency situation.

A viral YouTube video which appears to show a naked man climbing out of a window of Buckingham Palace using a bed sheet has officially been announced as a hoax. The video was actually intended to promote new E! show, The Royals.

The video, which was uploaded on Friday by 'Anders Dahlberg', has managed to generate around 1.5 million views on the video-sharing site, and counting, though it's since been revealed that the clip is a total fake and is actually part of a campaign to advertise the new drama which will debut on the network on March 15.

The 43-second video showed a butt-naked man abseiling his way down the side of the Queen’s London home using a bed sheet, and claimed to have been taken by tourists outside of the Palace, waiting for the Changing of the Guard. Wearing only one sock, the man eventually loosens his grip and falls a great distance, which, had it not been a hoax, would undoubtedly have made front page news!

Samsung buys LoopPay as Apple Pay dominates contactless payments in US: Samsung Electronics is buying mobile payments start up LoopPay in a defensive move agaisnt Apple Pay, which Tim Cook, the Apple CEO claims processes two out of every three dollars of contactless payments in the US. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that out of every $3 spent at stores with contactless payment, $2 was spent with Apple Pay.

Billionaire Mikhail Fridman Launches New Energy Empire: Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman began building an international energy company on Monday, closing a €5.1 billion ($5.7 billion) purchase of German utility RWE AG ’s oil-and-gas business over British opposition that could force the sale of the unit’s U.K. assets. The deal gives Mr. Fridman’s $29 billion investment fund, LetterOne Group, oil-and-gas fields in the U.K., Denmark, Norway, Germany and Egypt and licenses in several other countries, a springboard for ambitions to create a large global energy player. LetterOne named former BP PLC Chief Executive John Browne to lead the new business, called L1 Energy.The deal marks Mr. Fridman’s return to the energy industry two years after he sold his stake in TNK-BP to Rosneft, a sale that provided the seed money for Monday’s purchase. Mr. Fridman, 50 years old, rose from a window-washing business to become one of Russia’s richest men. Alfa Group, which he set up with billionaire German Khan, has interests in banking, retail and water utilities. Alfa Group collected $13.9 billion from the 2013 sale of TNK-BP to Rosneft.

Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower (By Greg Pizzoli): Ah, bad guys! Greg Pizzoli gets high marks for derring-do: He has written a children’s picture book about the escapades of a real life grifter who conned folks on both sides of the Atlantic (including Al Capone!) during the first half of the 20th century. Tricky Vic’s schemes — he duped marks with a money-making machine and escaped from one jail by pretending to be a window washer — are fascinatingly fiendish. But the bold, graphic mixed-media art — made with photographs, rubber stamps, pencil, ink, and digital tools — steals the show. Throughout the book Pizzoli portrays Tricky Vic, whose real name was Robert Miller, with only a fingerprint for a face. It’s a neat trick to use for a man who juggled 45 different aliases throughout his life.

Edwalton family left without a boiler for six weeks: Mr Gilbert, of Greenacre, said: “Metropolitan has put me and my family through hell. “They still want their rent but they expect us to live without hot water or heating – I just don’t think that’s fair.” Contractors working on behalf of Metropolitan first visited the property on January 15 when – with Mr Gilbert’s permission – the boiler was switched off because it did not meet current building regulations due to missing flue clips and was deemed “at risk” – meaning it could become unsafe in the future.

Mr Gilbert, a self-employed window cleaner, took Monday February 23 off work after he was told workmen would be fitting the missing clips. But he was instead told that the part may take another two weeks to be delivered. Mr Gilbert, who has lived at the property for five years, said: “It was the final straw, it was a waste of my time when I could have been at work.” Since the boiler was switched off the family have had to travel eight miles to relatives in Bingham to have a hot wash. Miss Bennett, 25, said: “It’s not good for little Jamie, he’s constantly getting colds. I’m also full of cold, it’s just not suitable having a small child in a cold house. “We can’t live properly, it is very stressful for us all.”

Metropolitan apologised for the delay. A spokesman said: “We are sorry that the service received by the family fell below the standard that we expect our gas contractor to deliver to our residents. “Normally, heating systems are repaired as quickly as possible, but in this case a failure to obtain parts has delayed the boiler being reinstated. “We are looking into why this happened and how the family can be compensated. “We have made this case an urgent priority.”

The Public Work Program For Addicts That Pays In Beer: The initiative was started by Essen's help program for addicts, but it has since made headlines nationwide with the moniker "Cleaning for Beer." When this program, officially called the "Pick up," began in October, people had reservations about it. The basic idea, taken from an Amsterdam program, is to get addicts onto a daily schedule by having them clean up street litter. For this, they are paid a little over one euro per hour plus up to three bottles of beer.

The idea was criticized as being exploitive and contemptuous in its approach to people. Many thought wrongly that "Pick up" was somehow associated with the drinker's scene in Essen's inner city when in fact the trial program primarily targets severe drug addicts who may also use alcohol from time to time.

As testament to this, the 20 crates of beer that were bought for the program are still in the cellar, virtually untouched after more than two months. Only two bottles have been handed out. "That surprised even us," says Uwe Wawrzyniak, the social worker in charge of the yearlong trial program.

The beer bottles may be gathering dust, but it remains unclear whether the program would have found takers if there hadn't been this promise of an alcoholic reward. "We aren't dealing with normal employees but with people who are fighting addiction, may have a relapse and require a day's break," Wawrzyniak explains. "Something like this isn't possible under usual working conditions," she says, adding that "Pick up" is for those who haven't had success with other programs.

Frank and his friends began using drugs when they were about 14. Initially, they just smoked pot together in the evening. Then they started taking LSD, which progressed to heroin. The former gardener and window cleaner once attempted suicide. "I hit rock bottom after my divorce," Frank says. "But what really did it was homelessness."

The men look after each other, warning each other about oncoming cars when they cross the street, for example. They laugh and talk a lot, with their overalls functioning as something like a soccer jersey, signaling that they're a team. "The work uniform gives the men the feeling of being part of society again," says instructor Olaf Stöhr, who accompanies the quartet on their rounds. "'Pick up' gives participants their self-confidence back."

Window cleaners dressed as superheroes as a treat for patients.

Superhero UK window cleaners are a surprise treat at children's hospital: We all know that the people working in our hospitals are superheroes, but none of the young patients at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children quite expected a visit from this fantastic four. Superman, Spider-man, Batman, and Robin all leapt into action to visit the dedicated children’s hospital based at St Helier, abseiling down the building to clean the windows and swing past to wave hello to the patients and staff inside.

St Helier’s paediatric matron, Nikki Sancroft, said patients and staff were thrilled to have a visit from the caped crusaders: “Queen Mary’s is a big building, so we knew we were going to need some specialist help with our spring cleaning, but we didn’t think we would be lucky enough to book the best wall-climbers in the business! “All of the children have been really excited to meet the superheroes and it’s raised a real cheer. The little things can make a really big difference when it comes to caring for our younger patients, so it’s lovely to have something as fun as this for them to focus on.

“The superheroes have done a fantastic job interacting with the children, and they’ve also done a fabulous job on the windows! I think Spider-Man got the hang of it the fastest, but then again, he’s probably the most used to climbing up and down buildings isn’t he?” All of the day’s activities were coordinated by the hard-working staff at the Epsom and St Helier University Hospital Trust, and the window cleaning itself was carried out by Antac Support Services.

City, contractor won’t pay for damages to Norfolk business: Dan Short, owner of FantomWorks in Norfolk, feels helpless. “Frustrating is just a part of what I’m feeling,” Short told WAVY.com. When the city of Norfolk offered to send someone to clean graffiti off his classic car shop over the summer, it seemed like a no-brainer. But now he’s changed his mind. “I will never allow the city to call another contractor to come here and fix any damage on my property again,” he said.

As 10 On Your Side reported in January, M.J. Farrell Construction was hired by the city as part of a graffiti clean-up program. It cost Short nothing to have the graffitti cleaned, but he said contracted workers broke a window in the cleaning process. The glass fell about 30 feet onto the hood of a classic car. The car then needed to be repainted, which cost around $3,000. At first, Short said, the contractor told him to send them the bill, but when the bill was sent, the response was next to nothing. “It wasn’t until [WAVY’s] report that the contractor at least did respond,” Short said.

But the contractor’s response went something like an email he sent Short and the city last week. He said he ” … fully disputes any and all claim/s made by the owner … Since this is part of the TAG-OUT program, the city of Norfolk as well as M.J. Farrell Construction are indemnified for any and all damages … .”

Also, the day after 10 On Your Side’s first report, Short said someone from Mayor Paul Fraim’s office called, promising to make the situation right. Short hoped the issue would be resolved, until he got this email from City Attorney Bernard Pishko last week: Unfortunately, the city is not able to accept liability for the damages to your customer’s vehicle. WAVY.com questioned the city attorney about that response. Pishko simply said, “The city is not liable for the actions of private contractors.”

“They neither hired a responsible contractor nor are they accepting responsibility for the damage, so they basically walked away from everything,” Short told WAVY.com. While Short is still left holding the bag, the city attorney did send a strongly worded email to Mike Farrell of M.J. Farrell Construction: You are wrong if you are of the opinion that your company does not have liability if it caused property damage … The city is unlikely to provide further business to a contractor that does not pay for damages it causes. Short told WAVY.com he is considering taking M.J. Farrell Construction to court. 10 On Your Side did make multiple attempts to contact M.J. Farrell, but our calls and emails were not returned.

Shaun Hayes, 46 of Welshpool Street, worked as a window cleaner, and was described by his partner as popular, but suffered from alcohol addiction. He was found lying between Clissold Road and Stoke Newington Church Street by passers by in September 2014. Paramedics pronounced him dead after being unable to resuscitate him.

A toxicology report recorded high levels of alcohol in his body and corner Dr Hassel, said: “He had been a heavy drinker for some time and although he had been drinking for some years, on this occasion, he drank more than his body could cope with.” Partner Gaby Baykarali, said: “He was very jovial, very friendly and popular down the pub. He was loved dearly by all that met him and a very generous character, affable and loveable.”

Richard David “Lindy” Lindauer, age 77, of Madison, died Sunday, March 1, 2015 surrounded by his family at Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg. He was born October 22, 1937 in Madison, the son of Walter Carl and Mary Margaret (Kelliher) Lindauer. He was united in marriage to Madonna Ruth Kurth on November 28, 1960 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Madison and together they raised four children. Dick served in the U.S. Army and then in the Army Reserves for eight years. Dick served as a firefighter and paramedic with the Madison Fire Department for 35 years. He happily played Santa for the Madison Fire Department for local hospitalized children for fifty years. In his time away from the fire department, he managed a window cleaning business which he started shortly after he was married. He and his family loved to travel, and made trips to Europe, Ireland, Hawaii, and spent numerous vacations in Door County. He loved Sunday drives with his wife, Donna; loved his Badgers and Packers and hanging out with his friends in the back yard. He was very proud of his Irish heritage and loved St. Patrick’s Day and all things Irish. He was a devout Catholic who served for Mass for many years at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and was a faithful member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church.

Alexander “Sparky” Kisse, 97, who owned and managed Independent Cleaning Co., a now-defunct window cleaning business in New Carrollton, Md., from 1957 until the mid-1970s, died Feb. 12 at a hospital in Cheverly, Md. The cause was pneumonia, said a daughter, Leonette Kisse. Mr. Kisse, a New Carrollton resident, was born in Carnegie, Pa. During World War II, he was an Army infantryman and participated in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and Battle of the Bulge. His decorations included two Bronze Star Medals and the Purple Heart. He participated in World War II reenactments and played Santa Claus at community gatherings.

Phillipsburg mourns loss of former coach, teacher Nick Stelmak: Coach and teacher Nick Stelmak left the Phillipsburg area nearly 10 years ago. But in the short time he was there, he made an impression on colleagues and students, friends said. Stelmak, 44, died Saturday night in Florida of an apparent heart attack, said his father, Nick Stelmak, of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The younger Stelmak left Phillipsburg in the middle part of the 2000s and moved to Florida, said friend Ken Mondzak.

He was adventuresome and loved to travel. "He loved life," his dad said. "You only go around once, and he understood that. He traveled all over." Stelmak graduated from East Stroudsburg University and worked as a behavioral specialist in the Sarasota public schools, according to his father. He also maintained a window-washing business. Funeral arrangements remained incomplete Thursday. Besides his father and mother, Marie, Stelmak is survived by three sisters.

Julie Titheridge on trial for murder of window cleaner, Steven Burton in Chaddesden: Emergency services were called to Mr Burton's house in Selkirk Street, Chaddesden, at around 4.30am on Friday, June 20. Prosecutor Adrienne Lucking has begun opening the case. She said: "The defendant (Julie Titheridge) and Steven Burton were in a long-term relationship. It was a dysfunctional one, it was characterised by loud and sometimes violent arguments when they were drunk. They both drank to excess, they did it on a daily basis, and usually on the streets of Chaddesden at an area called Sussex Circus." She said that on the evening of June 19, Titheridge and Mr Burton had returned drunk to their home in Selkirk Street, Chaddesden.

Miss Lucking said: "They had been arguing at Sussex Circus in the afternoon, with the defendant spraying Steven Burton in the face with cleaning fluid. The defendant was angry with Steven Burton, believing that he had been seeing other women whilst he had been away from the house for a few days. "That night, at Selkirk Street, they had a prolonged and loud argument that was heard by neighbours." Miss Lucking said that it was in the early hours of June 20 that Titheridge stabbed Mr Burton in the chest with a "7in bladed kitchen knife" while they were in the living room. "She inflicted a single stab wound to the left side of his chest that pierced his lung and a major artery," said Miss Lucking. "He collapsed and died on the floor if the living room.

Jail for window cleaner who stole £10k jewellery from clients: A window cleaner who stole more than £10,000 worth of jewellery including a “treasured” engagement ring has been jailed. Steven Gardner, of Gainsborough Green, Abingdon, raided the homes of two of his customers in Yarnton while he was supposed to be doing his job, Oxford Crown Court heard. A judge told the 37-year-old, who admitted one burglary and one theft, he had abused a “high position of trust” when he committed the crimes. Prosecutor Naomi Perry said first Gardner targeted 74-year-old Margaret Grimsley, of Park Close, Yarnton, on November 21, 2013. She said he had been her window cleaner for between 18 months and two years and stole a “treasured” £4,500 engagement ring – given to her by her late husband – after asking to use her toilet. Miss Perry said Gardner pawned the ring for £60 and his victim has now been told by her insurers she can only have a replacement, not the value of the ring.  The barrister said the theft was from Tracy Mitchell, of Stoutsfield Close, Yarnton, on December 4, 2013.

She said Gardner had been her window cleaner, employed to clean the outsides and insides of the windows, for about a year, and stole £7,000 worth of jewellery from her bedroom. The prosecutor said his victim only became aware of what had happened later when she found an earring lying on the ground outside. He said: “He’s not a window cleaner as a front to commit burglary after burglary. “He was the regular window cleaner to both. Judge Ross sentenced Gardner to 32 months in prison and told him to pay £500 and a £120 victims’ surcharge.

Heroin addict jailed for burglary after neighbours catch him red handed: A heroin addicted burglar caught red-handed by neighbours has been jailed for 22 weeks. Jamie Lapthorn was set to appear at Plymouth Magistrates Court today to answer a charge of theft and breaching a conditional discharge, but he was arrested on Sunday shortly after midday after being arrested for burgling an address in Underlane, Plymstock.

Philip Sewell told the court how Lapthorn, aged 26, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to the theft of a £182 Sony Xperia mobile phone on December 28 last year. This put him in breach of a conditional discharge from last year, which magistrates had imposed for being in possession of heroin. Mr Sewell said a female neighbour had seen Lapthorn enter the Underlane address and informed her husband who confronted the young man outside the address.

Lapthorn, of Stamford Lane, Plymstock, initially claimed to be collecting money for a window cleaner, but challenged further – particularly as to why he had a shoulder bag which contained a pink leather purse, £190 and bank cards – replied: “If the police come I will go back to jail”. The court heard he attempted to flee the scene, but the neighbour chased and apprehended him, bringing him to the ground and holding him until police officers arrived. Mr Sewell, said Lapthorn was “known to be a drug user who was funding his drug habit”. The chair of the bench sentenced Lapthorn to 18 weeks for the burglary and four weeks consecutively for the theft, totalling 22 weeks. He was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80.

Hunt on for Exeter con artist who left elderly sisters devastated: Two sisters who have lived through the Exeter Blitz, rationing and at least 12 Prime Ministers have been cynically targeted by a con man posing as a window cleaner. The sisters, both in their 80s, who live in Pinhoe Road, were devastated when they realised the burglar stole several thousand pounds in cash from their home while pretending to clean their windows. DC Moira Hamilton, of Exeter CID, said: “This was a particularly distressing burglary, as it is believed he stole a large amount of money from two frail elderly ladies, on the pretext of cleaning windows.” The crime took place on Monday, February 9, during daytime, and police believe the suspect was in the area the Saturday before the theft.

A passing bus’s CCTV caught a brief glimpse of the suspect. He is thought to be white, middle-aged, heavily built and about 5ft 9ins. He was wearing a dark jacket and clothing, and may have had an Irish accent. DC Hamilton said: “It is vital we catch this man, before he commits further offences. “I appeal to anyone who lives in the Pinhoe Road area or possibly anywhere in Exeter, who saw this male, during the last couple of weeks. “Did he knock on your door offering to clean your windows or offering other services? Does he have a vehicle?” Members of the community along the city end of the road, where the burglary took place, were disgusted.

Martyn Rogers, of Age UK Exeter, said: “Bogus callers may claim to be an official from your gas or electric supplier, a salesperson or claim they’re conducting a survey. “They may have a hard luck story and ask to use your telephone or toilet or ask for a drink. They may pose as a window cleaner, as in this incident. The important thing to remember is that if you are not expecting them and you don’t know them, don’t let them in. “A genuine caller won’t mind returning at another time when you can have someone with you, or writing to you to make an appointment. It’s also important to make sure you keep all your external doors locked so while you’re chatting at the front door no-one is able to enter through the back. “When the doorbell rings you should always put the chain on the door before you open it. If a caller won’t leave when asked, close the door and dial 999.”

Warning over 'man posing as window cleaner: 'Police have received eight reports in as many days of a man posing as a window cleaner visiting the homes of elderly residents and demanding they pay him for unrequested work. An 87-year-old woman reported she was tricked into handing over £10 to a man at her home in Coombe Road, Brighton, at 10.15am on Tuesday February 10. Since then there have been further reports in Coombe Road, Carlyle Avenue, Milner Road, Manor Way and Southall Avenue in the city.

Detective Constable Alex Chaszczewski said: “In each case the man has turned up, claimed he has cleaned the victim's windows and demanded payment. “When residents have gone back into their homes he has followed them in, sometimes using the excuse that he needed a glass of sugary water as he was a diabetic. “On a number of occasions he has stolen money before he has left, from victims aged up to 90 and from those with dementia. If you have been visited by the man, or know who he is, please contact us.” A 29-year-old man from Surrey has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and released on bail until April 13.