Contractor dispute turning unpleasant - I’m out of my comfort zone here!

(England) I had a boiler problem at a rental property. I have guests in. No hot water. I booked an emergency call out at 3.45 pm on Saturday. Company advertised same day call out, average arrival 110 minutes.

At 5.30 they told me they couldn’t attend without boiler make and number. Delayed until Sunday morning. I reluctantly had to accept this. ETA before 12

Sunday morning (9.15) I provided access details, as guests were not in after 10.30am. Sometime in between 10.30 and 11.35 the company sub contractor attends, can’t gain access because he hasn’t had that message passed on, no one attempts to contact me - and leaves.

They apologise for having missed the message and say they will send someone else out. ETA 12.30.

By 3pm still no attendance. I call to cancel as I’ve lost faith in the company - it’s 23 hours later after my emergency booking and still no fix. They refuse to tell me their terms of business are that there’s no provision for cancelling. They tell me their sub contractor is still on their way and will be there. The call is cut off and they don’t pick up the phone when I call several more times.

I tell them to cancel and that the contractor is not to enter the property. They don’t respond to confirm. I asked my key keeper to go to the house to make sure they aren’t allowed in. The sub-contractor is already there. Arrival approx 3.30.

The sub contractor is unaware of any of this, the parent company haven’t informed him. He is understandably upset by this. He feels he is out of pocket and has provided a service to me so I owe him his fee. In conversation with him I say because of what has happened I’m not able to pay now but it’s a civil conversation and I get him to send me his details.

Meanwhile the parent company is demanding payment in full for both his attendance and the mornings abortive visit.

By 5pm they accuse me of lying and conning them, and I receive seperate texts from different mobiles saying “members of the security company are standing by to attend your premises because you decided to rip off 2 seperate tradesman” and “we can send someone to your home address if it’s more suitable … we explained there’s no cancellation policy. We don’t work for free.”

Due to the ominous tone I inform the police, get an incident number raised and get their input - on their advice I inform the company in person attendance at my property would be harassment and don’t want any further contact via phone call or texts, I want it to be via email.

They immediately reply by text saying that they will contact who they like, they don’t care about the police as I’m committing fraud by not paying them for services received.

The company’s position is that I owe them in full immediately for both visits. It’s my responsibility to ensure access, I should have noted access codes on the booking form, and that there’s no facility in their T&Cs for cancellation. If I don’t pay now I’ve defrauded them.

My position is that I provided access information for the first one - by text, after they were unable to attend on the Saturday. They had that information but didn’t pass it on. Their communication issues aren’t my responsibility.

The second one I am much less clear on - he did attend and do some work - even though I’d instructed them not to they claim they couldn’t get through. But I’d lost faith in their service by that point.

The company T&C are quite draconian and do say once they are on their way there’s no cancellation. But I made the booking for a same day emergency call out and I don’t believe attendance nearly 24 hours later means they have provided the service they advertise.

What is my legal position here? Should I pay the second one (they already have 50% of that fee from the deposit)?

If anyone has advice I’d appreciate hearing it as I’m shaken up and second guessing myself.

Thanks in advance.