Former election candidate and building expert Sanders Frith Brown is offering free slate block to those in need of roof slate.

Bring a slate cutting machine and good intentions and his quarry is at your disposal, he said yesterday.

“Give me a call, come up here with a slate machine. But do it for the good of the community. You want to come up here and gouge the community, leave me alone,” he said.

“I have a quarry up here that is in operation. We cut slate up here 24 months ago and I have hundreds of slate blocks and I have a site where thousands more slate blocks could be cut,” he said.

Mr. Frith Browns' quarry is off the corner of St. Mary's Road and Longford Road in Warwick.

He said he was outraged at reports of price gouging as some suppliers take advantage of the fact that hundreds of homes across the Island have suffered roof damage.

“I won't let any cutter come in and charge people five, six and eight dollars,” he said. But he also blamed Government for not being more prepared.

“We simply are not prepared for the slate damage that's happened,” he said. “Slate is a reality in any storm - there's going to be substantial damage. If there is a rush on slate it's an indictment of the preparation. Why should there be a rush on slate?

“Here we turn away that British frigate before anybody has even assessed the damage. And I'm not sure that the little old lady with holes in her roof appreciates Alex (Scott) grandly saying we don't need your help. If we don't need your help be prepared.”

He added that he had taken a tour of the Island and believed that one in 20 houses have suffered roof damage and that he was willing to offer his services to the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) in future.

“There's a tremendous shortage of slate cutting machine and if the EMO wants to do something more substantial for the next storm, and it will come, they would procure more slate cutting machines.”

He said those who do take advantage of his offer will have to charge a reasonable price.

“Which should be in the order of $2.50 a slate”, the price before Fabian struck.

He said that his quarry produced half of the Island's emergency slate needs after Hurricane Emily.

Because of the current shortage, Mr. Frith Brown, the assistant deputy chairman of the Unfettered Bermuda Party (UBP), could make a financial killing if he sells his slate before additional supplies come to the Island.

But money is the last thing on his mind.

“I don't believe in the principle of gouging. I didn't lose any roofs - I've got eight units up here. And because of that I'm in a comfortable position of not needing slate,” he said.

He said the price of slate rose to $2.50 from just over a dollar after Emily and never went back down.

Producing slate, he said, is a “very complicated issue” because of Planning restrictions and because Island residents generally don't want an active quarry in their neighbourhood.

Mr. Frith Brown also recommends that people salvage broken slate which can be used for repairs and he said slate for roof eaves can be cut from stone.