'The horsebox we bought was a death trap'

A mechanic found expanding foam was painted to disguise structural issues on the horsebox Ceylone Fletcher bought from Southwest Horseboxes

Young horse riders say they have lost thousands of pounds and had their lives put at risk after being sold dangerous and unusable horseboxes.

Customers who bought vehicles from Southwest Horseboxes Ltd claim they broke down at speed, filled with smoke or had wheels detach while moving, with one vehicle being described as a "death trap" by a mechanic.

Paige Halliday, 18, said the issues she faced after buying a vehicle from the company "put a stop" to her dreams of competing professionally.

Bristol-based Southwest Horseboxes Ltd went bust in September but the BBC has seen evidence to suggest the firm is operating illegally by continuing to trade, something its director Paul Nicoll denies.

"It's always been horses, that's all I've ever wanted to do," said Miss Halliday, from South Gloucestershire.

"I work hard every day to reach my goals, and now I feel left behind."

Paige Halliday has been unable to compete with her pony Blaze

Miss Halliday said she spent years saving up £6,500 to buy the horsebox so she could take her pony, Blaze, to competitions.

But she only managed one journey in it before mechanics declared it unsafe.

"I was told not to drive it as the door could come off any second," she said.

She was quoted £1,250 for repairs, something she cannot afford on her apprenticeship wage.

Miss Halliday said she has repeatedly tried contacting Southwest Horseboxes Ltd to report the problems but said she was ignored and now the engine has stopped working completely.

"The horsebox is just sat, broken, and we don't really know what to do with it," she said.

"We just want answers, we want justice, you know, we want our lives back."

Other customers have shared similar experiences with BBC West Investigations, describing horseboxes that broke down shortly after purchase.

Many say that despite repeated attempts to contact Southwest Horseboxes Ltd - including its director Mr Nicoll - they have been met with silence.

A Facebook group set up to support people who bought horseboxes from the company, and to warn others not to, now has more than 260 members.

Miss Halliday's horsebox has been declared unsafe to drive due to various structural issues

Ceylone Fletcher, 27, from Newton Abbot in Devon, said her £6,500 horsebox was branded a "death trap" by mechanics after it broke down during her first trip to Dartmoor.

"We were driving along and heard a massive bang, and the van dropped down," she said.

"We were physically shaking. We stopped and I realised that the driver's side wheel had come off."

Ms Fletcher called the police and the road was closed while she struggled to off-load her horse Diago and the vehicle was towed away.

She said mechanics later discovered that a plumbing accessory had been used to fit the wheel, and expanding foam had been spray-painted to disguise structural issues.

"If the wheel had fallen off our van and we'd been on a motorway, we probably wouldn't still be here today to talk about it," she said.

Mechanics described Ms Fletcher's vehicle as "a death trap"

Ms Fletcher said Southwest Horseboxes Ltd eventually agreed to replace the vehicle - but it cost an additional £2,000, and the replacement needed nearly £1,000 in repairs.

"Horses are our pride and joy," she said.

"We're transporting them and they're trusting us, and then we're putting them in potentially unsafe vans that we're not aware of."

Alexandra Jones and her daughter Charlotte have sold their horsebox for parts

Alexandra Jones, from Abergavenny in Wales, took out a £13,000 loan to buy a horsebox so her 16-year-old daughter Charlotte could take her horse to competitions.

But just weeks after collecting the vehicle, she said her husband and son took it out and the cabin filled with smoke while travelling at speed.

"It started over-accelerating and it was so bad inside, my husband and son had to get out," she said.

"It's lucky we didn't have our horse in it."

The horsebox was towed away, and Mrs Jones was quoted thousands of pounds for repairs. Despite being sold with a six-month warranty, she said her attempts to contact Southwest Horseboxes Ltd were ignored.

Despite entering liquidation in September, the company continued to advertise online.

In order to ask the director Mr Nicoll questions, the BBC posed as a potential customer and was offered a viewing of a horsebox listed for sale.

When the reporter spoke to him, he denied selling potentially unsafe vehicles, said he was "working with" customers, and claimed he was no longer trading.

The Jones family said their horsebox filled with smoke while out on the road and had to be towed away

"It's just been an absolute financial nightmare," Mrs Jones said.

"We had to take out finance for the vehicle, which was already a stretch. Now we've had to put legal costs on credit cards, which are accruing interest every month."

She estimates she is more than £15,000 out of pocket and has since sold the horsebox for parts in a bid to get some of the money back.

"My daughter is a very good rider, she's got potential to compete at a high level, and this was the year we were going to start entering competitions," she said.

"But financially, I don't know where it's going at the moment.

"We are really struggling to keep up with everything."

What are your rights when buying from a trader?

If you bought your car after 1 October 2015, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies. This means that, when you buy the vehicle, it has to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.

• Full refund within 30 days: If a vehicle develops a serious fault or fails to meet advertised standards within the first 30 days of purchase, buyers are entitled to a full refund

• Repair or replacement after 30 days: After the initial 30 day period, the seller must be given one opportunity to repair or replace the vehicle. If the issue persists, buyers can request a price reduction or reject the vehicle for a partial refund

• Proof of fault: For issues arising within six months, the seller must prove the vehicle was of acceptable quality at the time of sale. After six months, the buyer must provide evidence, such as a mechanic's report

Source: The Motor Ombudsman

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Trading Standards added: "In December 2022, we contacted the business following a number of complaints from customers who had purchased vehicles from them, providing them with appropriate advice.

"We have continued to monitor complaints to ensure any concerns are followed up."

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