Two roofers have been ordered to pay £5,000 after carrying out “abysmal” work at a property in Westbury.
Arthur Dolan, 27, and Isaac Follows, 24, traded as Wiltshire Roofing.
They had been contacted in February 2023 by a homeowner in Westbury asking for a quote for a full roof replacement at his property. They gave a verbal quote of £6,800 and it was agreed that work would start three days later.
Once the deposit payment had been made and, following the removal of roof tiles, the victim was informed additional work had been identified and that the price would increase by a further £2,800.
On the third day, Dolan and Follows claimed they had identified urgent work for £3,000 which needed doing at the neighbouring property, which the victim also agreed to pay. In total, the victim paid £11,800 for the roofing work.
During an investigation by Wiltshire Council Trading Standards, a chartered surveyor described the work carried out as “patently quite abysmal and of little or no pecuniary value.”
Dolan and Follows were sentenced on Tuesday 20th May at Swindon Crown Court. Both had pleaded guilty to the offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for carrying out sub-standard roofing work.
In a Victim Impact Statement, the Westbury homeowner targeted by the pair said, “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.”
Dolan was ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and Follows must complete 300 hours. The work must be completed within 12 months.
When interviewed by officers, the men, who are brothers-in-law and from Seend, both claimed to be working for each other, with neither man accepting responsibility.
If anyone believes they have been the victim of a rogue trader, they should call Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
Pictured: The roof at the property in Westbury
