A Mulbarton family will go to the property ombudsman after refusing compensation from a removal company which damaged their belongings.

Eastern Daily Press: The television damaged after the Franklin family moved house. Picture: Heidi FranklinThe television damaged after the Franklin family moved house. Picture: Heidi Franklin (Image: Archant)

Heidi Franklin moved to a new build property in Mulbarton on December 15 with her husband and two 10-year-old twins and hired Hamiltons Removals for the day.

The family declined to buy additional insurance, and after a dining room table, lounge chair and flat screen TV were damaged during the move, they have refused a "gesture of good will" from the company of £400.

Mrs Franklin, 43, said despite visiting two days earlier to check quantities, Hamiltons didn't bring enough boxes on the day, prompting her to fill her car "to the roof" with clothes and her husband to make three trips with his van.

After the boxes had been packed, she said she heard a "massive thump".

Eastern Daily Press: Damage after the Franklin family moved house. Picture: Heidi FranklinDamage after the Franklin family moved house. Picture: Heidi Franklin (Image: Archant)

"I ran downstairs because I thought someone had been hurt," she said. "The dining room table should have been a two man job and one of them had dropped a metal plate which went through the table."

Mrs Franklin added walls were scuffed by boxes, a lounge chair was broken and a hole was put in one of their televisions after a screw went through the screen when it was stacked.

In all the damage comes to around £2,795, Mrs Franklin said.

"My husband is a builder and if he goes round someone's house and breaks something he has to pay through public liability insurance," she said. "All they keep saying is we didn't take their insurance, but if it was properly done this would not have happened."

Hamiltons sales director Tony Smith said the company had tried to resolve the issue.

"We did admit there was a problem with the table and decided to offer 55pc back for their removal," he said. "It is very rare we go back to a customer who has taken no insurance with a good will gesture. On this occasion we felt it was probably justified.

"Their recollection does not tie up with the crew that we have spoken to, but because of the table, which was our fault, I decided to offer then the 55pc as a gesture of good will. It is disappointing because we thought that was acceptable.

"We were up against it on the day, with adverse weather conditions. We tried our best to work and do the job as best we could in the circumstances."