Is the mystery businessman behind a Milnsbridge furniture store a controversial entrepreneur dubbed ‘The Kitchen Gangster’?

Customers have besieged Furniture by Stan at Home Mill in Britannia Road claiming goods they ordered failed to turn up.

The mystery man behind the company has called himself ‘Stan’ and says he lives in Indonesia.

He and his son export bespoke furniture to the UK and sell online and in store.

Angry customers claim they have been left out of pocket when furniture they paid for never arrived.

Last week ‘Stan’ turned to Facebook to deny claims he was a “big bad gangster” or that his business was a “scam.”

But now angry customers have set up a Facebook group to raise awareness saying they want to prevent other people losing money.

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The group is called ‘Handmade Furniture by Stan – or Vance Miller’ and they claim ‘Stan’ is really Miller.

Originally from Rochdale, Miller has courted controversy with his business selling fitted kitchens.

He’s been dubbed The Kitchen Gangster by the media and in 2002 he was the first person issued with a ‘stop now’ notice by the Office of Fair Trading over unfair sales techniques.

He has left a trail of angry customers down the years and in 2016 the Manchester Evening News reported how six people were jailed for selling what were described as “rubbish kitchens” at a firm controlled by Miller.

Manchester Crown Court was told that Miller had fled overseas and was believed to be in China or Indonesia where he was known to have an address.

He is wanted by the British authorities and legal moves have been made under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize his assets.

Last year a judge ruled Miller, 52, has ‘a criminal lifestyle’ and has benefited from his ‘criminal conduct’ to the tune of £2,357,761.

Last week the Examiner reported on a 1,600-word rant by ‘Stan’ in which he claimed he was the victim after being let down by others.

He also claimed his latest consignment of furniture had been held up at Customs after someone tipped off the authorities that he was smuggling drugs.

Now he says he is having a sale at the Milnsbridge store to raise cash to stay afloat.

In a post on the Handmade Furniture by Stan Facebook page on Saturday, he begged: “Don’t forget, guys, that if you have any spare money and you’re thinking of what to do with it then you can kill two birds with one stone here.

“You can help me out with some well needed turnover to keep me going for the next seven days until Customs release the container and you can grab yourself a bargain piece of furniture at the same time.”

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On Monday he kept up the sales pressure and wrote: “Furniture sale on all week, guys. Huddersfield store only. No sensible offer will be refused.

“Beds, tables, sideboards etc. I need to keep the money coming in until the container is released, hopefully this week, then the sale is over.”

On Tuesday he was offering big discounts on dining tables and chairs but warned: “Sorry, guys, but no delivery before Christmas.”

Stan’s sale seems to be never ending. On November 13 he wrote: “Furniture Sale Extended.

“I don’t want to sound too much like DFS who end one sale and then start another. So instead I’m going to extend the same sale.

“Last weekend’s sale brought in some well needed cash, that I needed to finish off all my orders.

“It’s a lot easier selling items from stock than it is making them. So I’m extending the sale for one more week and I’m staying open until 8.30pm every night this week.

“This sale is at the Huddersfield store only and only applies to in stock items, of which there is an awful lot.

“Beds, tables, sideboards, dressers and lots more please bring your wallet, bring your van, make me an offer and take it away. Built to last forever.”