PAIR RAISED THE BILL THROUGH THE ROOF

An elderly couple were quoted £100 for minor roof repairs by Tommy Fury, far left, and John O’Reilly, left. Then the pair invented more jobs and the price jumped to £35,000.

Family members raised the alarm and both men were met at the house by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards. Fury, 23, from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, and 24-year-old O’Reilly from Great Billington, Beds, have now each been jailed for nine months after pleading guilty to fraud at Aylesbury crown court.

Both were given suspended sentences for similar offences in 2014.

Noel Brown, Buckinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, said: “An early alert from family or watchful neighbours is just what we need to give our team valuable time to catch these criminals.”