A Ramsgate hair salon owner who had to shut his business and move out of his home for  seven months due to a sewer pipe collapse and was then refused renewed cover by his insurance company, forcing another two month closure, says he will continue to fight ‘for truth.’

Marcello Marino has run his hair salon, Marcello’s in West Cliff Road, for more than three decades but has almost been driven out of business since the sewer collapse and ensuing issues over pipe ownership, business insurance and building safety sign off.

In September 2023, Marcello was told the building was not safe and the shop would have to be closed. Two weeks later Marcello, his wife, two girls and baby son had to leave their home on direction from Southern Water.

Southern Water said the sewer pipe section was private and therefore Marcello’s responsibility even though the water firm covered the cost of repairs. But Marcello disputed ownership of the pipe section saying Southern Water’s lining contractor confirmed the section is not a private asset but ‘a shared pipe’ that was the water company’s responsibility.

Southern Water is now saying it has to ‘reassess’ ownership of the sewer.

The family were eventually able to return to their flat, above the salon, in February but the business did not reopen until May 1.

A claim with Marcello’s insurers, Hiscox, is ongoing but he then received a letter to say the firm would not renew the cover, which forced him to close yet again.

Now the dad-of-three has reopened his salon, despite the lack of insurance, and says he has been ‘abandoned’ with no structural safety sign off for the building, no accountability from Southern Water and Hiscox and no proper support.

He said: “Building Control never signed off the building, I complained to them but my questions were never answered.

“Now they want to come round and sign it off after two years, why now, tow years later?

“The insurance company don’t take any responsibility and will not release information I am entitled to have and now Southern Water has said they don’t know whether it is it a private sewer or theirs, which means all the time I have been right.

“There are no pre or post survey reports, all the reports I have asked for are missing. I have an open claim with Hiscox and now they won’t renew my insurance which has meant I am blacklisted from getting it from anyone else.

“Now I have had to open without insurance and all the customers are signing declarations. I contacted my MP and talked to them but haven’t heard anything more, no-one wants to help.

“I stood outside Hiscox (in London) and did free haircuts, highlighting how you can lose everything. I got so much support it was amazing but no-one from Hiscox came out to speak to me.

“When I got home I thought ‘blow it, I’m opening my salon.’ I had been closed again, for another two months, I am behind on my bills and I have my children, what else can I do?

“People have said to me that I am upsetting big companies but they are destroying my life. I am fighting for my life and sticking up for myself. I want answers. I did nothing wrong and yet I am still having to fight.

 “This isn’t just about me — it’s about all the families and small businesses they’ll keep hurting unless someone stands up to them.

“I’ve fought every day to protect my family, my business, and the truth. I’m not staying silent — and I won’t let them get away with it.”

MP Polly Billington says she is pushing for action on Marcello’s behalf.

She said: “This is a complex and difficult case but at the heart of it is a man who has had his life ruined and his business destroyed by a shocking incident that wasn’t his fault.

“I have contacted Southern Water and Thanet District Council on Mr Marino’s behalf to push for faster action to get this problem resolved, and I will continue to assist him until I am satisfied we have got him the best possible resolution.”

‘Reassessing evidence’

Southern Water says the company is reassessing evidence for ownership of the sewer pipe and may revisit the property to undertake further cctv investigations to clarify the position.

The company says it carried the cost of works, including underpinning the front of the building when it was discovered that the existing foundations were inadequate, and paid rehousing expenses.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We are sorry to hear of the difficulties Mr Marino and his family are facing. We have been in touch with Mr Marino and are keen to address the issues and concerns raised.

“We have also contacted his insurers directly and are carrying out a thorough review of all evidence relating to pipe ownership to help resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

“This essential work was undertaken at Southern Waters cost, including rehousing the family during the works. Throughout this process, we have worked in good faith to fix the collapsed sewer, ensure the building and family were safe and reinstate the premises to its previous condition to enable Mr Marino to reopen his salon.”

Marcello says his business interruption claim stemmed from the incident involving Southern Water, where the water firm initially accepted responsibility and agreed to cover the losses  suffered but later changed stance and said it had to go through the insurance provider.

Marcello says he received no warning that the policy with Hiscox might be refused and has since made a formal complaint which is being investigated by the Financial Ombudsman.

‘Commercial sensitivities’

A Hiscox spokesperson added: “We have confirmed cover for Mr Marino’s business interruption losses and paid £29,868 to-date in respect of those losses. We had understood that all losses had been agreed but Mr Marino recently informed us that, as a result of an accounting error, there are further losses the business wishes to claim. We are currently working through those.

“If Mr Marino is still experiencing difficulty finding insurance, seeking advice from insurance brokers who can help navigate the market remains the best approach.

“In terms of the data request, I imagine this relates to our underwriting criteria and the reasons why his business no longer falls within our appetite, which is not something we can share due to commercial sensitivities.”

A Thanet council statement says: “A final inspection is required, to enable the council’s Building Control team to approve the works at the property in question. To date, this has not been requested either by Southern Water or their contractors.

“The property owner can also request a final inspection, but has not yet done so. Once a request is received, council officers can schedule the final inspection.”

Marcello has opened a petition demanding justice and accountability which has received almost 1800 signatures.

Find the petition here