Botley rogue trader's 'just a coward'

Pensioner Leslie Evans was overcharged by almost £5,000 for repairs to the roof of his Abingdon home by Oxford builder Adam Bickford.

Just hours after the 72-year-old handed over £7,167 he saw Bickford on the BBC1 television show — and realised he had been conned.

Mr Evans said: “He was very pleasant to me and very affable. I thought he was a genuine guy.

“I always watch Rogue Traders, I find it a very interesting programme. When I saw this episode I thought ‘Oh my god — this is the man that did me’.

“I was very, very cross. He is a coward and a wimp. A younger man would have punched him.”

The former clerk, who has lived in Abingdon for 25 years, picked Botley-based roofing firm Abbaseal (UK) Ltd from the Yellow Pages when he needed guttering work done.

He was initially quoted £998 — but Bickford later visited his home, told him the roof was rotten and increased the quote to £7,167.

A surveyor later inspected the house and concluded the work should have cost about £2,000 plus VAT.

Mr Evans, who was too frightened to be pictured, said: “He was very persuasive. He put the pressure on.

“I thought it was a lot of money. After seeing the programme I thought ‘was it necessary?’ — and I didn’t think it was. I felt I’d been cheated and taken for a ride.“ Bickford, of West Way, Botley, admitted one charge of fraud by false representation at Oxford Crown Court just before his trial was due to start on Monday.

The 22-year-old was featured on Rogue Traders in October 2007 when undercover reporters claimed Abbaseal was wrong to charge a pensioner £600 to mend one slipped tile.

The programme also showed Bickford urinating twice against the wall of the house.

Mr Evans, who was on crutches at the time after a double hip replacement, said: “I’m very cautious now.

“I would advise people to contact trading standards to get advice on any firm before going ahead and speak to relatives or neighbours to try to get a recommendation.”

Bickford, who has promised to pay the money back to Mr Evans, was given bail and ordered to return for sentencing in May.

Outside court, Nigel Strick, head of Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards department, said: “While we have to wait to see what happens at the sentencing hearing, we are pleased to have secured a conviction in this matter and that the victim will be paid compensation.”

Anyone who thinks they may have been approached by a rogue trader should call trading standards on 0845 0510845 or police on 08458 505505.

COMPANY HISTORY

Building company Abbaseal (UK) Ltd was set up in January 1995 after previously trading as Bickford’s Dispatch Ltd.

Its registered address is at West Way, Botley, Oxford, right, and Sandra Bickford, 49, is listed by Companies House as the firm’s secretary and director.

Oxford Crown Court heard Adam Bickford, who claimed his annual income was £6,700, started working for the firm after his parents divorced.

Mr Recorder John Hardy said the company’s correspondence and some of its advertising suggested it was a member of the Federation of Master Builders trade association and used its logo.

But he said: “At some stage at about the time the three offences were allegedly committed, Abbaseal had its accreditation from the Federation of Master Builders removed.”

A spokesman for the FMB said Abbaseal had been struck off on October 4, 2007, after a complaint by a member of the public and because it had been on the Rogue Traders programme.

She said: “They were not adhering to our code of practice so they were asked to leave. Basically they were just not up to standard.”

We called Abbaseal yesterday and spoke to Adam Bickford, but he refused to comment.

JUDGE'S CRITICISM

A JUDGE accused trading standards officials of “not having the stomach for a fight” after they decided not to pursue further charges against Bickford.

The 22-year-old was charged with three counts of fraud totalling £35,006.

As well as the £7,167 fraud against Leslie Evans, he was accused of fraudulently charging an elderly woman £5,522 for roofing repairs in October 2007 and conning another elderly woman out of £22,325 for work in May 2007.

Bickford admitted the charge relating to Mr Evans but denied the other two — although the court was told he promised to pay them money.

Adam Norris, prosecuting, asked for the other two charges to lie on the court file instead of going to trial.

Mr Recorder Hardy said: “I am at a loss to understand why the county council apparently has no stomach for a fight and has the strongest possible evidence on paper of a business being conducted entirely fraudulently. Elderly, infirm people at the tail ends of their lives are being hustled into parting with their money for work which was unnecessary.”

Richard Webb, of Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards department, said: “We attended court fully prepared to go to trial with witnesses ready to give evidence.

“The complainants were consulted before the plea was accepted and agreed to the proposed payment.

“Critically they agreed this was a good outcome. This avoided putting the witnesses through the stress of a four-day trial and saved the associated legal costs and court time. Make no mistake, the county council is ready to carry the fight to any and all rogue traders.”