TWO councils have warned rogue traders that they will be caught after a conman was jailed for 32 months.

Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion Trading Standards Services carried out investigations into Danny Vaughan McClelland, from Cilcennin, Lampeter.

The investigations found that McClelland – who was trading under Weathershield Roofing and Property Maintenance – had previous convictions of a similar circumstance and was under a suspended sentence at the time.

The investigations found that he had committed fraud against pensioners in Bronwydd, Carmarthenshire, and Borth, Ceredigion, between March 2021, and July 2021.

He charged the victims more than £20,000 for unnecessary work which was carried out to such a poor standard, that they have been left with costs to fix the issue that exceed £10,000.

Chartered surveyors provided evidence that the work was ‘unnecessary and not of a standard that would be expected of a competent contractor.’

The surveyor said that one of the victims was charged £14,750 for work that had ‘no value whatsoever other than the potential reuse value of the salvageable material.’

He charged a couple £1,750 for two and a half hours of unnecessary work and demanded a third victim pay immediately after removing her roof.

He admitted all three charges and was given the prison sentence, as well as three months for breaching the suspended sentence which was handed down in 2020 for fraud against a bind widower in Ceredigion.

Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen, cabinet member for climate change, decarbonisation and sustainability for Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “Let this be a warning to all rogue traders that seek to prey from the most vulnerable in our society, we will come after you.

“I would like to thank our trading standards team for pursuing this case and getting justice for the victims. I would also like to thank Ceredigion trading standards service for their support on this case.”

Ceredigion County Council cabinet member for public protection, Matthew Vaux said: “Most workmen are decent and reliable but characters like McClelland undermine that trust. At a time when a lot of households are struggling financially, this case shows the valuable work that our trading standards service does to protect individuals in our community against rogue traders, and I hope this conviction sends a clear message to any unscrupulous traders that we will take action to stop this type of criminal activity.”