A doorstep rogue trader has admitted fleecing a retired Surrey teacher with excessive charges for substandard work to her house and garden. Tom Watson pleaded guilty to running a fraudulent business after he was brought to court by Surrey trading standards officers. Their investigation found that the former teacher, an elderly widow from Stanwell, had … Continue reading
A reality TV businessman has been found guilty of allowing thousands of tonnes of rubbish to be dumped illegally on green belt Surrey land he manages. In a case brought by Surrey County Council, Daniel Hill, 36, was convicted by a jury after piles of waste were repeatedly tipped at a site in Pirbright next … Continue reading
A Surrey rogue trader and his money launderer son have been ordered to return more than £250,000 to elderly residents who were charged extortionate sums for shoddy roofing and building work. Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards took John Green Senior and John Green Junior to court to recover as much as possible from the proceeds … Continue reading
A double-glazing firm was today ordered to pay fines and costs of £330,000 for using illegal high-pressure sales tactics such as quoting inflated prices to make discounts look better and falsely claiming offers were time limited. Zenith Staybrite Ltd was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £250,000 following a prosecution brought by Buckinghamshire … Continue reading
A property company was today ordered to pay fines and costs of £460,000 for fire safety breaches at a retirement home where an elderly woman died in a fire. FirstPort Limited, formerly Peverel Management Services, was prosecuted by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service following a fire at Gibson Court, Hinchley Wood in September 2011. The … Continue reading
A Surrey trader who laundered cash from a driveway repair scam has been ordered to repay £15,000 to two vulnerable residents. Charles Smailes, 22, of Stone Hill Road, Ottershaw was given a suspended jail sentence last year for his role in crimes which involved charging excessive sums for poor quality paving and landscaping work. He … Continue reading
A double-glazing firm has been convicted of quoting inflated prices to make discounts look better and falsely claiming offers were time-limited to persuade customers to make snap decisions. Zenith Staybrite Ltd admitted ten offences under Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations following an investigation by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards*. Five offences were engaging in an unfair commercial practice … Continue reading
A conman who sold pirated versions of Disney’s Little Mermaid and Mrs Brown’s Boys imported from China on websites such as eBay and Play has been ordered to repay almost £500,000. Trevor Pegg was jailed for three years in January after being convicted on 13 counts – including importing and supplying counterfeit DVDs, running a … Continue reading