Rogue Traders

Good morning,

In recent weeks, rogue traders targeted an elderly male in Towcester. They knocked his door and asked to inspect his roof which he reluctantly agreed to. They claimed there were issues with the roof and he agreed to a replacement. They charged him a staggering £70,000 and when the victim questioned the additional payment demands, the rogue traders threatened to return and remove the roof on several occasions.

Thankfully a family friend became aware of this and reported her concerns to the Police.

I attended from the Towcester Neighbourhood Policing Team and informed our Fraud Team and also Trading Standards who both also attended.

An investigation was launched and markers were placed on the 2 vehicles involved. As a result of this, one of the vehicles was stopped in Cheshire and 2 of the occupants were arrested for being illegal overstayers in the UK. Investigations continue into this case.

Due to the circumstances of the case, the bank used by the elderly male have reimbursed all of the £70,000 he paid the rogue traders, which has gone some way to making this less of a traumatic experience for him.

This is a reminder to keep an eye on elderly family members, friends and neighbours if you see work being done at their property - if things don't feel right, report your concerns to us on 101 or via our website for an officer to attend and assess.

Many thanks

PC 911 Mel Carter