News Record fine for unfair sales tactics A home improvement company has been fined £33,000 at Leeds Crown Court for breaching consumer protection legislation. Laura Anderson Ltd of Bradford, which trades as Virgo Home Improvements, pleaded guilty to multiple offences. The prosecution was brought by West Yorkshire Trading Standards, which says the fine imposed on the company is the highest for trading standards breaches in the county. The offences included: making persistent and unwanted sales marketing calls; ignoring a request to leave and not return to the home of a pensioner suffering from Alzheimer’s disease; and obtaining a contract worth £3,050 from an 89-year-old suffering from dementia for unnecessary work on her home. Seven complainants who had receive unwanted sales calls from Virgo – which supplies and fits uPVC fascias, guttering, windows and doors – were aged between 73 and 85. All had agreed to work carried out by Virgo in the past, but had then been subjected to repeated sales calls, described as ‘overwhelming at times’. The company committed three of the offences – brought under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 – after legal proceedings for the rest had begun. The judge fined the company £33,000 and awarded costs of £8,500, saying that – while the company had not set out to target the elderly – its mass marketing techniques meant that some of the victims were the most vulnerable in society. Dave Lodge, head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: ‘The case and the level of fines imposed illustrates the seriousness with which the courts view companies that flout the laws designed to protect the public in general, and the elderly and vulnerable in particular. ‘I hope the case will serve as a warning to those sectors of the home improvement industry that put the pursuit of profit before ethical commercial standards. ’Banned roofer jailed for 21 months after admitting ‘evil’ scam to cheat OAPs A roofer adopted a false identity as part of an ‘evil’ scam to steal from the elderly, a court heard. Carl Pennington was banned from the business following a previous conviction and knew no sensible householder would give him a penny if they carried out an internet search of his name. So, he concocted a false identity for his new venture, advertised knockdown prices and promised discounts for OAPs. As a result he soon left a trail of ripped-off customers across Greater Manchester. Roofs riddled with holes, fascias so low occupants couldn’t open their windows, and botched guttering were all hallmarks of Pennington’s ‘worthless’ attempts at repair work, trading standards investigators found. He would demand cash upfront, fob off any customers who complained his work was faulty and, in one case, never returned to do a job after taking £1,000 for materials. His nine victims were mostly elderly, and included a vulnerable single mother with four children. Pennington, 35, of Swinton, was jailed for 21 months at Manchester Crown Court after admitting nine counts of engaging in a misleading commercial practice and one of carrying on a business for a fraudulent purpose, between November 2013 and June 2014. In eight months, he managed to con £10,000 from his victims, who have had to pay again to have his shoddy work put right, and haven’t had a refund from him. Jailing Pennington, Judge Andrew Blake said: ‘I’m just wondering whether he’s planning his next scam already.’ In 2013, Pennington was convicted of five offences of unfair commercial practices, following complaints about the quality of his roofing work. He was sentenced to a community order by magistrates and banned from operating as a roofer by a civil enforcement order. But, as the sentencing judge described it, ‘the ink was hardly dry’ on the order when Pennington set up a new venture – Simply Roofing and Plastic – (SRP) and placed an advert using the false name Stuart Matthews. After complaints from customers alerted them to SRP, trading standards discovered that the company’s mailboxes, phone numbers and accounts could be traced back to Pennington. Martin Sleight, defending, claimed that Pennington didn’t understand that he had been banned, adding: ‘He expresses remorse for his evil and shameful actions.’ But the judge dismissed Pennington’s claims of remorse as typical of a ‘fraudster who’s been caught out’. Sleight then called for his client to be punished in the community, saying he had five young children, faced eviction and was planning a new career in sales. However, Judge Blake rejected the plea, telling Pennington: ‘You knew your name was out there in lights and advertising in your name was not going to work, so you set up this fraudulent vehicle and you started to use an alias. ‘Considerable care was taken by you in setting up your smoke and mirrors to enable you to defraud these people. It’s not a huge amount of money on each occasion, but it’s a lot of money to these people who are worried about the state of their property. It’s said you’re remorseful, it’s very difficult to believe that. As I said to Mr Sleight, I wonder whether you’re planning your next scam, because it’s extremely difficult to accept that remorse you express.’ ilford store fined after knife test purchase A large department store in Ilford has been prosecuted for failing a test purchase for a second time by selling a knife to an under 18-year-old. Bodgers of Ilford was fined £3,000, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120, after a salesperson allowed a volunteer police cadet to purchase a knife without challenge or asking for age identification. The knife was sold during a test purchase exercise carried out jointly by the police and trading standards in July 2015. A number of checks took place on shops selling knives in the borough to ensure sales staff were complying with the law by checking consumers were over 18 before selling them a knife. Bodgers pleaded guilty at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court in April 2016. In addition to the fine, the company was also ordered to pay £1,027 costs to the council. West Yorkshire joins national efforts against rogue traders As part of National Rogue Trader Week 2016, West Yorkshire Trading Standards has run events in conjuction with West Yorkshire Police to raise awareness of rogue traders. A live webchat saw 130 people tune in, with officers on hand to respond to concerns and offer advice, with an emphasis on ensuring the elderly and vulnerable remain on their guard against doorstep crime. Police and trading standards officers – along with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (previously known as the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) officers – joined national efforts and conducted joint raids. As a result, a caravan reported stolen from the Bristol area was located, five immediate prohibition notices for roadworthiness were issued and a commercial premises in Beeston was also visited. David Lodge, head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: ‘Through the Cold Calling Control Zones, SAFER Project and joined-up operations with West Yorkshire Police, we aim to empower West Yorkshire residents – particularly those in a vulnerable position – to avoid becoming a victim of rogue doorstep traders.’ JP Chretien / ShutterStoCk GaJuS / ShutterStoCk