ON THE COVER Real Life I Stood Up To Rogue Traders
Elsie and her neighbours had bullying “workman” convicted
When the residents of a Bolton street were targeted by a rogue trader, they decided that enough was enough. Neighbours Elsie Derbyshire, Lorene Walker and Sylvia Hardman were three of many local households who fell foul of an aggressive tradesman who used intimidating tactics to get them to pay for having their driveways re-laid – work most of them did not actually want.
“We are in a row of private bungalows,” explains Elsie. “This man started off at the top bungalow, doing the path to the front door. I asked him if he could put an extra line of flagstones down my driveway. However, after he started he kept knocking at the door demanding more and more money. I told him that I didn’t have more money until he had done the job. Then the next minute he’d taken my flags up – and next door’s too!”
He was doing all sorts of things elsewhere in the street as well. One resident went to the shop one day and when she came back, he
had taken her flags up. Another was even taken to the cashpoint to get more money out.
“He ordered flags to be delivered at my door and then he ran off around the corner saying, ‘You pay with your credit card.’ I’d already given him £800! I sent the delivery back. After a week – he said the job would only take a couple of days – and having taken all my flags up, he then disappeared. I was left with no driveway at all and he’d taken my doorstep away too.”
Elsie called her local Trading Standards department, who began an investigation which eventually saw 17 charges being brought against the trader. Elsie, Lorene and Sylvia were the only residents who had the physical and mental strength to attend the court hearings to see the case through to the end, despite further intimidation by the man.
As a result of their courage and determination, he was given a suspended 12-week prison sentence, ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 10 days rehabilitation activity, and to cover costs and compensation of £1,200.
“Several people, including the Trading Standards officer in Bolton and the local police officer all pulled together to help me,” says Elsie. “And a retired, kind flagger called Peter was really disgusted to hear what had happened to me and with Danny, a flagger with the local council, he re-did my driveway for free.”
Elsie, Lorene and Sylvia each received the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Hero Award.
“I am so pleased to win the award. It was lovely for our actions to be recognised,” says Elsie. “These people can be so aggressive and residents can be very frightened about coming forward and speaking up.
“But we want everybody to see that there is no need to give in to these rogue builders.”
Concerns about rogue traders and people trying to scam you should be reported to Citizens Advice consumer service, who will pass them onto trading standards. Call 03454 04 05 06.
“I was left with no drive – he took my doorstep too”