A rogue trader who defrauded two elderly women out of tens of thousands of pounds and illegally dumped roofing waste in Wiltshire has been sentenced following a successful joint prosecution by Wiltshire Council’s Trading Standards and Environmental Enforcement teams.

Tony Lloyd, 24, of Ely, Cambridgeshire, who has previously also been known as William Johnson and William Bray, appeared at Swindon Crown Court today (Thursday 15 January). He pleaded guilty to five offences, including two counts of fraud, one breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, and one offence of fly-tipping. At the hearing, he was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £2,000, plus a victim surcharge of £187.

Mr Lloyd was the sole director of First Roofcare Ltd, a company registered in Bristol, which falsely claimed membership of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors (CORC), despite having been removed in October 2022 for poor workmanship and non-payment. He had previously been warned by Bristol Trading Standards not to use the CORC logo.

In November 2023, an 83-year-old woman in Frome, Somerset, who had been seeking roof repairs, received a leaflet from First Roofcare Ltd. After visiting the property and quoting £700-£900 for the repairs, Mr Lloyd’s employee began work immediately to remove roof tiles. Following the removal, the elderly victim was advised that the property would require a full roof replacement, costing £30,500. The victim, feeling pressured, agreed to the work which was later found to be unnecessary and poorly executed. A Chartered Surveyor assessed the damage and estimated the true cost of repairs should have been no more than £600.

The victim described the devastating impact in her statement, saying she had to survive on beans on toast and jam sandwiches for months and could not afford Christmas presents. She has since been living entirely downstairs due to the damage incurred and the costs involved in the repair.

In February 2024, a second victim, a 75-year-old woman from Corsham, contacted Mr Lloyd after seeing an advert in a local magazine using the CORC logo. He quoted £300 to remove moss from her roof, but then after removing roof tiles unnecessarily, he claimed that she also needed spray foam insulation removed. He quoted her £30,000 for the additional work, which was later reduced to £21,300. When the Chartered Surveyor examined the second property, he determined that the work was unnecessary and had caused further damage to the roof.

The second victim said the experience had significantly affected her confidence and may impact her ability to live independently in future.

Mr Lloyd refunded the two victims in full shortly before he was sentenced.

In a separate incident, roofing waste was discovered dumped on land at Semington by a member of the public in February 2024. The dumped materials included broken roof tiles, battens, felt, and garden waste. After it was reported to the council, Environmental Enforcement Officers obtained evidence linking to a property in Melksham where Mr Lloyd’s business First Roof Care Ltd had undertaken work. Officers were also able to identify materials in the waste that had been sold to the business.

As part of the investigation, Mr Lloyd was served with a legal notice under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, requiring him to produce two years of waste transfer documentation. He failed to provide any records, confirming he had not been lawfully disposing of business waste.

Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Mr Lloyd has since refunded the money to the victims. However, he has caused a great deal of distress and inconvenience to his victims.

“The consequences of this sort of behaviour often go far beyond the financial harm. Victims are often left with lasting practical and emotional problems, as well as a loss of trust.

“There is no excuse for fly-tipping. This offence shows that Mr Lloyd has little regard for the law or the environment we live in. It also shows he has little care for following the correct business practices.

“Wiltshire Council is committed to protecting local communities from fraud and environmental crime. We will continue to take robust action against offenders who try to dupe our residents like this.

“I’d like to thank the homeowners who have assisted us in this case. Also, to the resident who reported the fly-tipping incident in the first place. Their actions have enabled us to obtain a successful prosecution.”

 If anyone believes they have been the victim of a rogue trader, they should call Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

The witness who assisted the council in convicting the offender is entitled to a reward of £100 as part of Wiltshire Council’s We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign.

To find out more about how Wiltshire Council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire, including more information on the reward scheme, people can visit: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.