They are derided - often unfairly - for taking their time over jobs and indulging in lengthy tea breaks.

But a mystery workman is accused of really taking the biscuit by leaving his scaffolding up for three months after a job was finished.

Furious single mother of two, Rosalind Dearing, owns the house in Elm Grove, Brighton, which was still clad in metal and wood at the weekend.

She said: "It was like that since the summer. The kids couldn't play in the garden. I couldn't let the dog out.

"It was like they were using my garden as a storage facility."

The scaffolding frame went up in July last year to allow builders to repair rendering on the wall of a flat behind the Dearings in Milton Road.

The wall became precarious after pieces of masonry fell into the family's garden and on to their roof, causing a leak.

The work was expected to take a few weeks but dragged on for months.

Miss Dearing said: "Sometimes they would stay and work a couple of hours and then leave. Then they didn't turn up at all.

"We contacted the landlord of the flat they were working on and eventually they were sacked.

"Then a new set of builders came in and got the job done within a week. That was October but the scaffolding was still here and we didn't know why.

I've heard that the scaffolder had an accident. But that doesn't mean to say because he was out of action he couldn't hire other people to collect his tools.

"My garden's not much but if it's not raining at least the kids can have a kickabout. Until they collected the scaffolding, they couldn't do anything."

Miss Dearing's father Michael, a builder from Brighton, said: "My daughter and her children were inconvenienced by this. It was turning into a real nightmare.

"We were having a hell of a job trying to get someone to take it down. Surely when the job's done they take the scaffolding down."

Anthony Rogers, who owns the Milton Road flat, said: "I empathise with Miss Dearing.

She's been hugely patient.

"We gave the scaffolder an ultimatum. The trouble is I didn't actually employ him.

"He was employed by the builders that I later sacked.

"It's a mystery why the scaffolder wouldn't collect his materials. He's been paid."

After The Argus contacted Mr Rogers the owner of the scaffolding, Atar Shenazi, removed his equipment.

Last night, Mr Shenazi was unavailable for comment.

jessica.bauldry @theargus.co.uk

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