Checkatrade News - May 2011
Rogue builders target Poole
Trading standards in Poole have warned locals about rogue tarmac "gangs" operating in the area.
Following reports of door-to-door selling by one cowboy builder, Poole Trading Standards have issued a warning to residents to keep their wits about...
Conman who overcharged pensioners by £120,000 is jailed
A cruel con man has been jailed in what experts called one of the "worst cases of systematic exploitation."
Chronicle Live confirmed that Derek Hepple cheated vulnerable pensioners out of over £120,000 by overcharging them up twenty times...
Summer weather brings out more rogue traders
Local residents in West Sussex have been warned to be extra vigilant when hiring construction workers during the summer.
Councillors have stated that the warm summer weather often leads to a rise in rogue traders attempting to secure work on...
Fraudulent builder jailed for 27 weeks
An unscrupulous builder who swindled a pensioner out of thousands of pounds has begun a 27 week jail sentence, writes the News and Star.
Paul Brown from Carlisle pleaded guilty to fraud after having overcharged an elderly customer by...
Police warn as rogue traders strike
A homeowner has accused several rogue traders of fraud after the group demanded money for unwanted repairs, reports East Anglian Daily Times.
Officers at Suffolk police said five men in a white van called at the man's house, stating that his roof...
Pensioner sends cowboy trader packing
A Welsh pensioner has successfully fought off rogue traders who tried to charge her for unnecessary work to her home.
Local Magazines reported that 67-year-old Enid Jordan was at home when the pair of cowboys approached her, offering to undertake...
Police issue warning to Shropshire residents
Rogue traders targeting elderly Shropshire residents have made off with thousands of pounds in inflated labour costs, Shropshire Live reports.
Shropshire Police are urging residents not to accept building work offered at the door after a spate of...
Cowboy duo will only have to pay back a tenth of money stolen
Two rogue traders who conned elderly residents out of more than £800,000 will only have to pay back around a tenth of that sum.
A judge at Oxford Crown Court ruled that Mark Shepherd, 43, and Scott Jackson, 41 had to pay back respective sums...
Green Deal to create 250,000 builders jobs
Builders all over the country are celebrating the Energy Bill being passed in Parliament earlier this week.
The bill lead to the confirmation of The Green Deal, which will place minimum energy efficiency requirements on residential...
Financial expert advises how to avoid the rogues
A financial expert has outlined a number of ways homeowners can ensure they don't get caught out by cowboy builders.
In a blog for Moneywise, financial expert Nathalie Bonney listed five considerations to bear in mind for anyone looking to...
Summer drought poses risk for gardeners
Green-fingered Brits could have a miserable summer ahead as a heatwave threatens to cause drought across the UK, the Telegraph reports.
Expert forecasters are predicting that this year's June and July going to be so hot and dry...
Elderly urged to be on alert after burglaries
Police are reaching out to elderly homeowners after two people were duped by thieves posing as authority figures.
Your Local Guardian reports that distraction burglars posed as police offers in order to gain the trust of an 85-year-old man and a...
String of distraction burglaries by bogus traders
A string of burglaries in the North East have been made by rogue traders posing as doorstep traders.
It is thought that a number of rogue traders have been taking advantage of elderly residents by impersonating gardeners, utility...
West London traders jailed after theft
Two rogue traders suspected of at least 42 distraction burglaries have been jailed, Croydon Guardian reported.
James Nolan, 34, and Samantha Gray, 22, from Slough, took advantage of elderly and vulnerable people in West London and the South...
Rogue builder prosecuted
An incompetent, thieving builder has been order to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community service, punishment for dangerous building work and swindling a Hove resident, reports The Argus.
James Reilly, 27, of Bognor, was...
Trading Standards probe Weymouth building company
Trading Standards is investigating a Weymouth building company, after it left a guest house in such a state that it will cost £30,000 to repair.
The Dorset Echo reported that the owner's "dreams are in tatters" following the mess left...
Homeowners warned over risky practices
A study has found that the elderly are putting themselves at risk of falling prey to unscrupulous cowboy builders.
The report, by Gas Safe UK, has claimed that despite 42 per cent having been targeted by rogue traders, only 7 per cent said...
Homeowners need more incentives in the Green Deal
House-builders say that bigger breaks are needed by government to incentivise the public into the Green Deal, Property Talk Live reports.
Under the Green Deal, due to be launched in late 2012, homeowners are allowed to install energy efficiency...
Trading Standards urge vigilance as summer approaches
The numbers of complaints against rogue traders is set to increase as summer approaches.
Officers from Trading Standards have issued a warning to those looking to employ builders, plasterers, plumbers or roofers, urging them to only deal...
Arrests made in rogue builder case
Police in Dudley have raided four houses and made two arrests following an investigation into suspected rogue traders.
Police arrested a 37 year old woman in Brockmoor, Dudley and a 42 year old man in Coven, Staffordshire on...
Half of DIY jobs require professional help afterwards
Families spend £1,793 on average each year in home improvements, The Mirror reported.The figure came as a result of a survey undertaken by DIY chain, Wickes.It also also found that over 50 per cent end of households end up having to...
Trading standards lift the lid on complaints received
Officers from Trading Standards have warned against using rogue tradesmen after high volumes of complaints were registered in Scotland.
Officers reported a huge rise in the number of people being approached for work on their doorstep by...
Man arrested for rogue traders offences
A 32-year-old man has been arrested in an early morning raid to catch out rogue traders, reports lynnnews.co.uk.
Around 20 Norfolk officers and trading standards officers raided 'Lee's Caravan Site' in Hunstanton in an effort to catch malicious...
Building experts support new-build ambitions
Builders will help would-be-homeowners create their dream home thanks to a renewed commitment by the government for more self-builds, The Guardian reported.
In order to tackle the current housing crisis, the housing minister, Grant...
90 year old is latest victim of distraction burglaries
Police in London are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a 90 year old woman was conned by a distraction burglary, reports This Is Local London.
The pensioner from Forest Rise in Walthamstow was persuaded by the man that he was a...
Trading Standards issue warnings over rogue traders
Trading standards in West Yorkshire are warning locals to avoid unscrupulous cowboy builders after two cases in the area highlighted the damage they can do.
The first case involved a rogue trader building a £14,000 conservatory over a...
Dorset man conned out of £200 by rogue builders
A Weymouth man has been conned out of £200 by rogue traders, further reinforcing the importance of only using trusted and reputable builders.
85-year-old John Davis was confronted by the two cowboys after they called at his home and...
Three Cambridge crooks caught by police
Three rogue traders have finally been arrested after a prolonged and malicious campaign that left hundreds out of pocket, Cambridge First reports.
The conmen are estimated to have taken around £400,000 from elderly and vulnerable...
Rogue trader crackdown continues
Northumbria Police's official month-long crackdown on rogue traders is near the closing stages but prevention is set to continue, reports berwick-advertiser.co.uk.
Officers will continue to target "doorstep crime, bogus callers and rogue traders"...
