Con men roofers prosecuted

22 Feb 2012, 10:51

Father and son roofers have each been given a 12-month community order and instructed to pay £3,400 in compensation and costs, after misleading customers in Macclesfield.

Donald James Warner, 50, and James Dean Warner, 29, traded as JW Roofing & Building and carried out work across east Cheshire and Staffordshire.

Cheshire East Council's consumer protection and investigations team brought the prosecution after receiving several complaints that the pair cold-called residents using false and misleading claims in order to carry out work on their property.

Cllr Rachel Bailey, cabinet member with responsibility for safer and stronger communities, said: "This prosecution should send out a clear message: that the council will not tolerate rogue traders conning Cheshire East residents. I would like to thank our consumer protections and investigations team for their hard work on this case."

This was mostly roofing work that was either never required, or the exaggerated claims they made pressurised the resident to have the work done. They also received payment for work when it was not carried out.

The Warners, who live on Adams Avenue, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to all offences. They were convicted on 2 February 2012, at Macclesfield Magistrates' Court.

In addition they had been advised on previous occasions that they legally have to provide customers with a written right to cancel, in a prescribed format, when contracts are being signed. They continued to ignore this advice and failed to provide it in the right format, which is a criminal offence.

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