A ROGUE trader who told a customer his driveway work came with a 25-year guarantee ended up delivering an end result which came ‘well below the standard one would expect of a competent DIY person’.

Lancashire Magistrates Court was told that in August 2018 victim David Kerr rang a number after seeing a newspaper advert for “Artificial lawns and resin driveways for you” and was visited by a man believed to be defendant David Varey.

Prosecuting, Claire Box said Mr Kerr, who wanted work on his front and back garden, agreed a price of £2,000 for a tree removal, removal of ivy from his garage and shed and coloured gravel being laid.

Ms Box said Varey at that stage failed to provide a written notice setting out a consumer’s rights to cancel the agreement within 14 days without incurring any penalty.

Ms Box said: “Work was carried out over the next two days to remove a raised bed and gravel and take down the plum tree. Mr Kerr paid the £2,000 in cash but did not receive any paperwork such as a receipt or invoice. He was told before he handed over the cash that Varey would refund him if he was unhappy with the work.

“A few days later, Varey returned as Mr Kerr had rung him to say that he was unhappy with the work.”

Nevertheless, Mr Kerr agreed to have driveway work carried out, the court was told

Once again he was not given any paperwork, but was told verbally by Varey that he would give a 25-year guarantee for the work at the end.

After the work to the drive was completed Mr Kerr paid £2,350 in cash and Varey gave him a paper, which didn’t contain required information regarding the identity of the owner and address of the business.

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Ms Box said Varey also told Mr Kerr that his brother did the receipts and guarantees online so he would put it in the post. But Mr Kerr said he has not received this guarantee, has since had problems with the work done and called Mr Varey more than 13 times to complain to no avail.

Don Waterworth, an independent building surveyor, said in his report that: “The work carried out by the contractors is well below the standards that one would expect of a reasonably competent tradesperson, and indeed well below the standard one would expect of a competent DIY person.”

Mr Waterworth also said that the work in the back garden was wholly unsatisfactory as Varey had lifted the stones six inches higher than the damp proof course of the conservatory, whereas external garden levels should sit six inches below any DPC.

Mr Waterworth attached no value to the driveway and patio work at Mr Kerr’s property in Aldwych Drive, Lostock Hall, Preston, and a value of no more than £300 to the removal of the tree and supply of the stones.

Varey, 36, of Moscow Mill Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to engaging in unfair commercial practice. He was fined £800, ordered to pay £4,050 compensation, as well as £1,334 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Varey accepted the work on the front was unacceptable but didn’t agree with the £300 value given by surveyor to the work on the back where he took the tree down and laid gravel. The married father-of-five, now working as a roofer, said that if he had the money to refund Mr Kerr he would.