GRANDMOTHER Johanna McHugh was disgusted when she discovered what appeared to be blood stains on a mattress she had just bought.

She had paid out £140 of her carefully saved cash for a bed described in an online advert by Bed Solution Ltd as “brand new looking”.

But when she unwrapped the plastic packaging after it was delivered to her home in Lower Stratton she saw patches of staining showing through the cover.

She realised the mattress appeared to have been covered to hide the stains which, on closer examination, looked suspiciously like blood.

“I just went nuts after I saw that,” she said.

Meanwhile the hessian on the divan base was tattered and torn.

She contacted the firm to ask for her money back and was told to send in pictures of the damage.

“I said it was disgusting selling a bed like that to anyone,” she told the Advertiser.

It was only when she was told she could have a replacement but that she would not get it the same day that she discovered the firm was actually based in Birmingham, even though the Gumtree advert she had answered suggested the beds were in Swindon.

The advert had offered buyers the chance to view the beds in their own home before buying and promised: “Totally in as 100% Immaculate Condition (not new but look totally as 100% SHOWROOM brand new).”

Mrs McHugh kept calling the firm and was told the replacement would be with her last Tuesday, but then the delivery date was switched to Friday.

She was told delivery would be between 6.30am and 9.30pm, but then she was told the driver had left Swindon.

Daniel Jones, for Bed Solution, said the adverts made clear the mattresses were refurbished. There was a quality control process and the staff who recovered the mattresses should check for fire resistance tags and damage.

The mattress sold to Mrs McHugh had slipped through the net. But he told the Advertiser he would be offering her a refund.

“There is no law against selling refurbished mattresses,” he said.

“Our policy is that if there is a complaint we will exchange it. It’s about negotiation. We offered to exchange.”

He added that customers got a text from the driver advising them to check the mattress while he was there so they did not have to accept it if there was a problem.

He said Mrs McHugh had contacted the firm several times but not chased up the driver on Friday.

“It was his last job and he wanted to go home,” he said. “Had she phoned him he would have done it.”