A rogue roofer from Morecambe who scammed three elderly residents out of thousands of pounds has been jailed.
The sentence follows a Lancashire County Council Trading Standards probe that uncovered poor quality work and misleading commercial practices.
39-year-old Robert Macintyre, from Moorlands Grove, has been jailed for 12 months, after he pleaded guilty to offences under the Fraud Act 2006 and The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 in November.
He was sentenced last week at Preston Crown Court.
The prosecution followed an investigation into works carried out at two addresses belonging to three Lancashire residents between December 2021 and May 2024.
Trading Standards officers found Macintyre, trading as Macintyre Roofing, carried out substandard, incomplete and misdescribed roofing work for three elderly victims. Macintyre misled his victims by falsely claiming to be qualified, certified or approved by City & Guilds, Velux and The British Board of Agreement.
Residents were left financially worse off than before Macintyre began as they faced either costly repair bills or needing to have faulty work re-done.
A surveyor instructed by Trading Standards confirmed that work for one victim had been carried out to a low standard and fell well below what would be expected from a reasonably competent contractor, while £1,600 worth of work for a married Morecambe couple, aged 76 and 77 at the time, was judged to be worthless.
A further Morecambe victim, who was 78 when he contracted with Macintyre in 2021, and paid £11,500, was left with extensive water ingress after work necessary to keep the property watertight was not carried out.
Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities at Lancashire County Council, said: “Our Trading Standards team works tirelessly to bring rogue traders to justice. By scamming vulnerable residents out of thousands of pounds, they cause mental anguish to their victims and families.
"Robert Macintyre carried out poor quality work for elderly residents for which he overcharged, but thanks to the efforts of our Trading Standards officers, he's now behind bars.
‘’This prosecution sends a clear signal that we won't tolerate rogue traders in Lancashire, and we'll do everything we can to bring them to justice."
To report a rogue trader, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. For trusted local businesses, visit Lancashire’s Safe Trader Scheme at www.safetrader.org.uk
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