TWO rogue workers who left a string of Wyre Forest residents out of pocket have been sentenced at Worcester Crown Court.

Builder Neil Cronin, aged 51, of Chapel Court, Kidderminster was jailed for 24 months for work that he failed to complete or even start.

And in a separate case, roofer Brad Birch, 20, of Streets Lane, Cheslyn Hay was given a suspended 16 month prison sentence for carrying out unnecessary and overpriced work on the homes of two elderly Kidderminster residents.

Birch was also given a further 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay compensation totalling £15,652 to his victims.

Cronin had previously admitted 18 counts under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 while trading as NJC Home Improvements.

An investigation by officers from Worcestershire Trading Standards Service revealed that, between October 2015 and July 2017, Mr Cronin took substantial payments from nine consumers in Kidderminster and Stourport, for work that he failed to complete, or in some cases even start.

He took a total of £53,570 in payments but the court was told on Monday (April 9) the victims’ losses were more than £140,000 when the costs of having work completed or rectified were added.

In mitigation, the court heard that Cronin’s problems were in part due to him ‘overtrading’ and unable to deal with the amount of work he took on.

But while Judge Nicholas Cole accepted his actions were initially the result of him being disorganised, he added it was clear Cronin knew what was happening and continued to take on work.

Birch admitted two counts under the Fraud Act 2006 and four counts under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 in relation to work he carried while trading under the name BB’s Roofing.

An investigation by officers from Worcestershire Trading Standards Service was instigated following complaints regarding roofing work carried out at two properties in Hay Close, Kidderminster. The victims were aged 70 and 71.

It was also found that one of the properties had been left in a dangerous state with Cadent Gas Ltd required to attend to make the building safe, as his actions had left gas venting into the roof space.

In mitigation, the court was told that Birch was only 18 when the offences were committed and he had set up his own company without any training or real understanding of how to run a business.

After sentencing, Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for communities, said: “The work of our Trading Standards Officers often goes unnoticed; however these cases show how vital their work is in ensuring that consumers are protected from reckless and fraudulent businesses.”