Father and son cowboy builders admit roofing scam

A father and son who carried out "misleading and substandard" roofing work that scammed homeowners out of thousands of pounds have been sentenced.

Arthur Dolan Sr, 49, and his son, Arthur Dolan Jr, 28, both of Blossom Hill, Seend, Wiltshire, were sentenced at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Friday for fraudulent work carried out in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Both were handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 15 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Councillor Paul Sample, from Wiltshire Council, said: "The men knowingly carried out misleading and substandard work, leaving both households facing significant financial loss and considerable emotional strain."

One homeowner spent £17,000 repairing issues the Dolans created. The owner had already paid £12,450 to the Dolans for the initial work.

At another property, they persuaded an elderly homeowner that a roof extension needed replacing in full, despite evidence that a simple repair would have fixed the issue.

The homeowner was quoted £3,000 initially, which later rose to £12,000.

Inspections found the work was unnecessary and badly done, and debris was left on the roof.

They both pleaded guilty to fraud and consumer protection offences relating to dishonest roofing work undertaken under the business name A & D Home Improvements Ltd.

The pair have previous convictions for similar offences and were prosecuted by Wiltshire Council's trading standards.

Several of the latest offences were committed while Dolan Jr was on bail awaiting sentencing.

Council chiefs said they would begin legal proceedings using the Proceeds of Crime Act to get compensation for the victims.

Sample, cabinet member for public protection, added: "This case demonstrates the serious and lasting harm rogue traders can inflict on residents."

The pair were also disqualified from acting as company directors for five years.

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