'Changing Rooms' special faces criticism

Residents in the seaside village of Boscastle have slammed a Changing Rooms special that set out to repair the damage caused by floods over the summer.

Presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen took the Changing Rooms team to the village, in order to work on four damaged properties.

However, residents have accused the programme of failing to address the long-term damage.

One resident told The Mirror, "It didn't do anything for the real damage. It was just for the cameras. It was absurd, laying floors in a derelict building so a kitchen could be decorated."

A local builder added, "They had about 40 people working on the rooms and we were not particularly impressed. It might look good on the cameras and I suppose that is what it is all about.

"They were putting lining paper on wet walls and painting it, and other tricks to make it look good in the short term. It was a joke."

Defending criticism of the show, Llewelyn-Bowen insisted, "It's not going to be a makeover. These are long-term design solutions."

The special episode will air at Christmas.