Lew Crowther

Lew Crowther was a painter and decorator who played darts with Jack Duckworth at the British Legion. In 1991, Jack considered hiring Lew to do up 9 Coronation Street's dining room/kitchen and hall when Vera left the bath running and flooded the house. Although only the back room required redecoration, the Duckworths soaked the walls in the hallway in order to exaggerate the flood damage and jack up their insurance claim.

As the insurance company would be footing the bill, Jack told Lew to spare no expense when he came to look over the house and give an estimate. Lew rattled off a list of his most expensive options, including £55 for top-of-the-range handprinted papers, Chinese silk wall coverings, and high-quality paint at £15 a tin, all of which were received enthusiastically by Jack. However, once Lew returned an estimate of £900, Jack changed his mind and decided to buy the materials on the cheap and decorate the house himself, leaving the majority of the £900 claim as profit.