No access to front door

An elderly couple have been left without access to their front door for more than a year after Hook failed to finish work on their home. Stephen Bennett’s mother and father-in-law, who are both in their 80s and do not wish to be named, paid more than £10,000 for a front porch and downstairs toilet at their Strood home in January 2018.

Work began in July but the builder often wouldn’t visit when promised and would tell the couple that one of his fa mily members was ill.

Mr Bennett, 31, said: “There were always delays and things getting in the way of work getting started. He constantly gave excuses.” Eventually he began the renovations around July 2018 but intermittently visited them and eventually failed to return after summer 2019. Mr Bennett’s mother-in-law, who has limited mobility, and her husband, have to leave their home via the back door because Hook left a foot of brick wall where he had started work and didn’t finish the estimated £13,000 project. The father-of-one said: “It has been a rough six months and a big blow to them. My fatherin-law is now doubting himself and his own abilities. He doesn’t feel happy a bout himself at all.”

The grandparents had to pay a further

£4,000 for the porch to be fixed and for work on their toilet to be finished.

To pay for the work, which was organised by their son-in-law through different contractors, they had to use money they had been saving up to buy a new car.

Hook has not been in contact since they last saw him.

Mr Bennett realised his family may have been scammed when he saw Shelley Week’s account of her experience with the tradesman.

He added: “Since Shelley’s post on Facebook and the Kent Messenger article he appears to have gone into hi ding.”