Two roofers from Seend have been ordered to pay a combined £5,000 in compensation after fraudulently carrying out shoddy roofing repairs at a Westbury property and charging an exorbitant price.
Arthur Dolan, 27, and Isaac Follows, 24, who traded under the name Wiltshire Roofing, were sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Tuesday, 20th May, following an investigation by Wiltshire Council Trading Standards officers.
Both men had previously pleaded guilty to offences under The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for their subpar work. Dolan was sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work, while Follows received a sentence of 300 hours. Both must complete their community service within the next 12 months.
The pair had been contacted in February 2023 by the victim, who requested a quote for a full roof replacement on his property. They provided a verbal quote of £6,800, and work commenced three days later. After the initial deposit was paid and the roof tiles were removed, the victim was informed that additional work was required, increasing the price by a further £2,800.
On the third day, Dolan and Follows allegedly identified urgent work needed on the neighboring property, totaling £3,000, which the victim also agreed to pay.
In total, the homeowner paid £11,800 for the faulty roofing work.
During questioning by Trading Standards officers, the men, who are brothers-in-law, attempted to deflect responsibility, each claiming to be working for the other. Follows admitted it was his first time undertaking roofing work and that he possessed no qualifications in the field, while Dolan claimed to have "zero experience" in roofing and had never completed a roof before.
An independent chartered surveyor examined the work and described it as "patently quite abysmal and of little or no pecuniary value." The surveyor concluded that the men had "demonstrated limited or no basic understanding of roofing work of this nature" and that "the overall standard of workmanship is quite appalling."
The entire project will now require complete replacement at a considerable additional cost.
In their Victim Impact Statement, the victim stated "Being left with a poor-quality replacement roof, which wasn't finished or done properly, I felt that the home I loved had been destroyed. I was concerned about the integrity of the roof; if it would leak in heavy rain or hold up in strong winds. During their work I found that the loft cavity of my roof contained broken up asbestos tiles that had fallen into the loft during the removal of the previous roof. I was also shocked to learn that the work carried out would need to be completely redone. They talked me into having the adjoining neighbour's roof done also, which I paid for. I was rushed into this decision and felt pressured to call up the neighbour on the spot to ask for his permission for them to be able to continue the work on his side of the roof. This has caused friction with the neighbour because of the terrible state of the roof after they carried out the work."
Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate and Waste, said: I was appalled to read about the impact of this crime on its victims in their Victim Impact Statement.
Rogue builders are very good at duping homeowners and carrying out work to unacceptable standards. They cause misery and often further costs to correct the work.
I would urge anyone considering having work undertaken on their house, to carry out as much research as possible and to obtain more than one quote before agreeing to a trader doing any work.
Always ask for written quotes and ensure you are provided with full details in writing including the trader's name, address and the total price before any work takes place. Seeking independent references for the business can also help to allay any concerns.
Wiltshire is full of honest hard-working traders but they are being let down by some people looking to take advantage. Trusted traders can be found by using an approval scheme such as Buy With Confidence
If anyone believes they have been the victim of a rogue trader, they should call Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
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