Victim of rogue roofer speaks of her ordeal

The 59-year-old, who has five grandchildren, says rainwater leaked onto presents and a new bed in her newly decorated spare room at her north Lancashire home after roofer Ryan Knowles claimed he had fixed it.

The 34-year-old trader, of Rutland Avenue, Lancaster, is currently serving a 24 week jail term after admitting two unfair trading charges over omissions over consumers rights to a cancellation period, and two of providing a false business address.

Lancashire Trading Standards stepped in after Knowles aggressively accused his victim of “trying to defraud him” when she contacted him to say the roof he had fixed was leaking again.

Speaking after the court case the woman said: “No sentence is long enough.

“I was just unlucky. I’d just had shoulder surgery so I was pretty desperate to get the leak sorted.

“I’m £1,500 worse off.

“I’d done a lot of Christmas shopping and stored in my little room. My granddaughter’s bed was absolutely sodden, along with books for the kids, and clothing which was stained.

“It was stinking. I’d only just had the room decorated after the last leak and had to have it done again.”

No compensation was awarded to Knowles’ two victims due to his prison sentence, and the grandmother is planning to take her case to the small claims court.

Knowles had previously committed similar offences. Residents can use Lancashire’s Safer Trader scheme, a list of more than 1,500 bonafide tradesmen.