A rogue trader has been ordered to pay £1,440 compensation to a Radstock couple for damaging their home, following a prosecution brought by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Bath Magistrates convicted James Mahon, of Moorland Park, Weston Super Mare, on 23 May 2012, of failing to use ‘professional diligence’ when he carried out cleaning work at the Bath New Road home of a couple of elderly pensioners.
The Court heard how Mr Mahon, had convinced the couple (who do not wish to be named) that he could do a professional job of cleaning their house and roof by showing them photographs which were not his work. He also told the couple that he had four employees who he was struggling to keep employed and offered a five year guarantee with his work.
In fact Mr Mahon had only met the two ’employees’ he bought in to do the work on the morning of 18th October at the Bourneville Job Centre – shortly before they started the work. Neither of the two men had ever used the power washer supplied by Mr Mahon.
Rather than cleaning the brickwork, the work they carried out resulted in substantial damage to the facing of the blocks and to the pointing between them. One of the workmen, whilst attempting to reach a higher part of the wall, fell through the garage roof that he was balanced on and broke his wrist in the process.
A concerned neighbour called Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Public Protection Team, which resulted in Trading Standards and Police officers arriving on the scene to intervene. They were able to prevent Mr Mahon from demanding any money from the pensioners and also stopped the workers from causing any more damage on top of what had already been done – estimated at £1,440 to repair.
The Court convicted Mr Mahon under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and awarded £1,440 victim compensation to the pensioners at the request of Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Cllr David Dixon, (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “This is an unfortunate example of what can happen when you employ people who go from door to door seeking work. Thanks to the concern of the couple’s neighbours, and the intervention by Bath & North East Somerset Council and the Police, no money was handed over. We are also grateful to the Magistrates for acting on the Council’s request to award the couple a compensation order.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council urges residents never to give work to people who cold call at their door. The Council’s “Buy with Confidence” approved trader directory contains details of local businesses which have all been audited by the Council’s Trading Standards team.
The Buy With Confidence directory is available free of charge to callers to Bath & North East Somerset Council’s recently-opened One Stop Shop in Manvers Street, Bath; the Hollies, Midsomer Norton or Riverside in Keynsham. It is also available online at http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BuyWithConfidence or by calling 01225 396759.
