Plumber fixes pensioner’s catheter leak

But rather than picking up his tools and saying the job was beyond him, Jason Ashton fixed the problem and has now been dubbed “Scotland’s  kindest-hearted tradesman”.

Mr Ashton, 38, was on call for home emergency repair firm First Call Home Assist when he received a call after midnight about a flooding incident.

The elderly man was so concerned he had initially dialled 999 before police passed the issue to the firm, which manages the property out of hours.

The pensioner said the leak, which occurred last month, was running through the hall, kitchen and bedroom of his house, in Peffermill.

Mr Ashton, from Mayfield, Midlothian, said: “Once I realised there wasn’t a water leak, there was no way I was going to walk out the house [and] leave the man in that state.

“I suppose I’m maybe of the ‘old school’ who always want to do the right thing to help out people when they are in a bit of distress.

“In many ways I was glad to be able to solve the problem so quickly as a real leak could have been much more distressing for an old man.”