Two Lancashire Builders Jailed for £37,000 Roof Repair Fraud

Two builders, Tom Lee and Freddy Young, were jailed after defrauding a man in his 60s in Crawshawbooth by charging him £37,000 for roof repairs that were valued at just £3,000. The fraud began when Lee and Young knocked on the victim’s door, claiming urgent roof work was needed, and gave a verbal quote of £12,000 plus additional charges for scaffolding and tree removal. The victim made several payments totaling £37,000, but the shoddy workmanship, described as "shockingly poor," left the man with additional repair costs of £15,000. The fraud was uncovered when the victim’s bank noticed large cash withdrawals and alerted the police, who found Young and others working at the property while Lee fled. Voice notes from Lee revealed he was aware of the scam, referring to the victim as a "lemon." Both men pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and received prison sentences of two years and nine months for Lee and two years and five months for Young.