Checkatrade News - June 2011
New housing registrations up in the South
New-build housing registrations in the Southern regions of the UK have nearly doubled over the last three months, according to a new report.
The figures, cited by Construction Enquirer and published by the National House-Building Council (NHBC),...
Cowboy trader gets comeuppance
A man who made more than £2 million through deceitful practices and unlawful trading has been jailed for more than two years, reports norfolk.police.uk.
Tony Gray, 56, also faces a £700,000 repayment bill as the rogue trader tastes the...
Cowboy builder "ruined" families' homes
A cowboy builder operating in Wolverhampton has once again proven the benefits of hiring only trusted tradesmen to undertake building work.
Carl Greaves allegedly "ruined" two families homes, according to Bcancerguide.com.
Reports revealed...
Rogue trader faces £140,000 bill
A rogue trader has had a taste of his own medicine after being told to pay back £140,000 to his victims or face another two years in prison.
Construction Enquirer reports Darryl Sylvester Glynn, 46, was previously sentenced to...
Rogue traders turning to solar ripoff schemes
Thrifty rogue traders are turning their attentions to the growing popularity of solar power in a bid to rip off the vulnerable and elderly, reports DailyMail.co.uk.
Consumer group Which? has uncovered an ongoing swindle by a number of solar panel...
"Unprecedented" growth in rogue traders
The amount of rogue traders in Britain has significantly risen thanks to the recession, a new study claims.
A report from Citizen Advice has claimed that the current financial climate has led to an "unprecedented rise" in conmen looking to...
North Wales residents alerted over spike in rogue trading
A rise in the number of complaints about rogue traders has sparked a neighbourhood watch scheme to speak out, reports Leader Live.
False roofing work has been the main focus of complaints as residents in the Chirk area of North Wales are getting...
Rogue trader jailed for bullying elderly victims
The boss of a paving firm who deliberately targeted and exploited vulnerable people has been jailed for three years and four months.
Jim Coffey of Almondsbury in Bristol, director of Interlock Drives, and his employees cold-called their...
Eccleshill sets up 'no cold calling' zones
Eccleshill is the latest town to put measures in place to try to reduce the numbers of cold callers operating in the area.
Following a spate of doorstep-traders turning up and ripping local residents off, local councillors have put in place...
Wiltshire man prosecuted over faulty gas work
A lesson in hiring qualified, recommended tradesmen was learnt in Wiltshire, after an unlicensed man was ordered to carry out community service for illegally working on a gas boiler.
Graham Nicholls, who is not a Gas Safe registered professional,...
Gardeners rescue a Surrey mess
A crack team of gardeners came to the rescue of a Surrey resident who was left with a bare-lawn after entrusting a rogue trader for help.
The 57-year-old Stoneleigh resident, who did not want to be named, called in a gardener to weed the...
95-year-old woman victim of distraction burglary
A 95-year-old woman has been burgled by thieves posing as labourers.
The elderly woman from Farnworth was fooled by a rogue trader who told her that he was doing some work for her neighbours, reports the Manchester Evening News.
90-year-old woman charged £600 to replace two roof tiles
Police are on the lookout for rogue traders who charged a 90-year-old woman £600 to replace two roof tiles.
The three conmen knocked on the door of the elderly woman's Salisbury home and convinced her it was vital that the work was...
Imprisoned rogue trader could be forced to pay victims back
A serial conman who swindled hundreds of thousands of pounds from vulnerable pensioners has been warned he could have to pay the whole lot back.
Derek Hepple, from Kingsway, Houghton, ran a burglar alarm company and specifically targeted old...
Unscrupulous trader fined for tipping
A Westbury builder has been fined £1,650 for illegally dumping waste in a Wiltshire beauty spot, This is Wiltshire reports.
John Thompson was found guilty of fly-tipping and flouting his duty of care under the Environmental Protection...
Public land sell-offs announced
Ministers have said more than 100,000 homes and thousands of jobs will be created through the sale of public land, BBC News reports.
Sites already earmarked for new developments include three Ministry of Defence sites in Bath, a former hospital...
Police operation specifically targets rogue traders
A police operation set up using officers from numerous different forces has been hailed a success.
'Operation Bombay' - which features ten officers drafted in from Durham, Northumbria and Cleveland police forces - has seen 90 arrests made...
Sex line conman builder jailed
A man who defrauded an 86-year-old deaf pensioner has been sentenced to eight months in prison, the Littlehampton Gazette confirmed.
Worthing Magistrates made the ruling after hearing how John Redington of East Preston, near Brighton, had...
Pensioner left out of pocket by rogues
A woman from North Lincolnshire has been left £1,200 out of pocket by rogue builders.
Cindy Hitchcock of Roxby thought she was getting a good deal when cowboy builders turned up at her door and offered work at a low cost.
"No Cold Calling" zones established in Lancashire
Two towns in Pendle are taking a hard line or rogue traders in a bid to drive them from the area.
Nelson and Brierfield are trialling a scheme whereas anyone found trading door-to-door will be fined £1000 unless they have a valid Street...
4G introduction could scramble TV signals
The next generation of high speed internet for mobile phones, 4G, could disrupt digital television signals when it launches in 2013, Ofcom warn.
The communications watchdog have set out proposals to lessen the chances of the two digital...
Faulty boiler leads to manslaughter charge
A gas fitter has been charged with the manslaughter of a Bath woman - who allegedly died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty boiler.
Previously, it was thought that Zoe Anderson, 24, died from a head injury when falling in...
One in seven gas projects undertaken illegally
The Gas Safe Register has warned homeowners of the dangers of employing illegal gas fitters.
It is against the law for a tradesperson to undertake work with gas if they are not fully registered and qualified.
Police warn residents following doorstep scams
Tyneside pensioners have been warned to be on guard after one OAP was conned out of £1000 by rogue traders.
Four men were involved in a doorstep scam involving an unnamed 88 year old man.
