Roofer fined for charging Luton homeowner for work he never did

A roofer who made false claims and charged Luton customers for work he did not do has been fined.

Nick Trevor Joe Whittaker, 26 and of Pathlow Park, Birmingham Road, Stratford-Upon-Avon, appeared at Luton Magistrates on March 1. He pleaded guilty to two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 after an investigation by Luton Trading Standards.

The council explained that Mr Whittaker, director of Direct Roofing Specialists Limited, had worked in Luton and took payments for roofing work on the day his company had dissolved, in October 2021. He failed to tell the consumer in writing that they were entitled to a 14-day cooling off period. And after taking money for materials, he walked away from the job and never came back finish it.

Due to the poor standard of work, the homeowner had to pay £5,000 to fix it. After getting a guilty plea discount, Mr Whittaker was ordered to pay the customer a £5,000 Compensation Order in the next 12 months.

Cllr Maria Lovell, portfolio holder for trading standards, said: “It just isn’t acceptable for roofers or other businesses to mislead customers and abuse their trust. Our trading standards team are here to protect residents from the actions of rogue traders.

“We advise anybody who is looking for a reliable trader to always get a number of detailed quotes, avoid paying large payments up front, check with friends and family for trusted recommendations and consider a trading standards’ approved trader.”