Mum's fury as leather sofa changes colour

Mrs Linfoot, 41, of Seymour Plain, Marlow, says her dream suite has turned into a nightmare because Kingdom of Leather, where she bought it, is refusing to redye or replace it.

The company paid for an independent report to find out why the sofa changed colour. The report said the colours did come off, but its overall conclusion was that Mrs Linfoot's family sat on the sofa too much.

Mrs Linfoot, said: "We saved up and spent that money on it thinking we would probably not buy one again. We had it for ten months. We were hardly ever in. We didn't sit down on it that often.

"I have got friends who have had leather suites that have never had any problems."

The suite was taken away to be tested in January, and the family has been lent another suite.

Mrs Linfoot added: "When the report came in, I just could not believe it. How often are you supposed to sit on a sofa?"

Trevor Stevens, of the technical services department at Kingdom of Leather, in Wembley, said the company went to the extent of paying for an expensive independent test to prove it was not to blame.

He said: "We have commissioned an independent report by the British Leather Confederation technical centre in Northampton. They would normally charge £500 for a report.

"They have reported, totally, that the damage is down to the customer. As much as we sympathise, we cannot help any further."

The report states: "Inspection of the suite confirms that there has been extensive colour loss, particularly from the arms and the seat cushions."

It said the pattern of colour loss was unusual, suggesting it had received heavy wear. However, it also reported that a rub test with a damp cloth in an unworn area showed that the colour could rub off. It concluded that the damage was caused by a combination of poor finish and heavy wear.

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