Tom Lee and Freddy Young have been jailed for scamming a pensioner out of £37,000 in a fraudulent roofing job that experts say was only worth £3,000.
The pair of rogue traders—Lee, 39, from Darwen, and Young, 27, from Oswaldtwistle—targeted a man in his mid-60s at his home in Crawshawbooth, Rossendale. They pressured the victim into paying for shoddy, overpriced work under the guise of urgent roof repairs.
The fraud came to light when the victim’s bank flagged suspiciously large cash withdrawals and contacted police. Investigations uncovered voice notes on Lee’s phone, where an associate praised the scam, saying, “There’s loads of lemons about.”
Initially quoting £12,000 for roof repairs, £2,000 for scaffolding, and another £2,000 for tree removal, Lee and Young demanded £3,000 upfront. The pensioner paid £400 in cash immediately, later withdrawing the rest. In total, he paid £37,000.
Police later discovered three men working at the property, including Freddy Young. Lee fled before officers arrived.
A professional survey later confirmed the repairs were of “shockingly poor” quality and worth only £3,000. The victim had to spend an additional £15,000 to correct the damage.
In court, the victim described enduring months with a leaking roof, using buckets to catch water and dealing with hazards such as water-damaged light fittings and debris left on his lawn.
“All the work done by Tom Lee and Freddy Young was shoddy and had to be removed,” he told the court, expressing relief at their sentencing. “I welcome the prison sentences and hope this sends a message.”
On September 2, both men pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Preston Crown Court. Lee was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, while Young received two years and five months.
