Family thwart bid by rogue traders over cash demand

The News revealed last week that the 81-year-old - who suffers from memory loss - was targeted by cold callers who knocked on the front door of his home in Boston Road and told him he needed urgent repair work to his chimney.

The family say there was nothing wrong with the chimney and claim the two male cold-callers spent less than an hour carrying out work which they described as sub-standard.

The pensioner subsequently walked into town but was unable to obtain any money because family members have his bank cards for safe keeping.

The men left without any money but told the pensioner they would return a few days later on October 21.

By then, the family had installed a CCTV system and new locks at their dad’s house.

The pensioner’s son told the News: “Dad was visited by our rogue traders again on October 21 and asked to go to the bank to withdraw £400.

“Fortunately, the bank declined his request (as per our instructions).

“However, we got them on CCTV, including the vehicle which was a white Ford Ranger, but we did not get the reg.

“They told dad that they would return in the morning (Saturday, October 22)) to collect their money.

“On Saturday morning, the whole family turned out to wait for them.

“True to their word, the rogue traders eventually turned up and, bingo, we got video and pictures.

“When they knocked on the door, dad opened it with me behind him and I think the bloke got a big shock,

“I told him we would not be paying and that dad did not have access to his money - therefore he was wasting his time sending him to the bank,

“I also told him that dad was 81 and had memory loss and therefore vulnerable and that he had taken advantage of him because the chimney did not need doing.

“I ended by telling him that we had them on CCTV twice and that we now also had pictures of the vehicle. We have passed everything on to police.”

○The family want to remain anonymous but say they have spoken out to highlight the problem of rogue traders targeting vulnerable people.