Blackpool roofing firm hailed for helping pensioners stung by cold caller bodgers

And JR Roofing based at Lancaster House on Amy Johnson Way has been hailed by a national consumer magazine as a result.

The three-year-old firm is owned by Josh Morrison who has five full-time employees and who said he was delighted to have been chosen by Which? as its trusted trader of the month.

Josh said: “It’s great to be the best in the whole of the UK and we got a certificate for our customer service. It is an achievement for the team and it put Blackpool on the map nationally.

“We got a call from a lady in Warton about a group going round and doing bodge jobs.

“They had called at her house, her husband has dementia and cancer and he was talked into agreeing some work on their bungalow roof.

“She tried to ring and cancel later but two days later they turned up with materials. She was petrified.

“As they did the work they ripped off a fascia board.

“The fascia they put up was wrongly installed. It allowed the water coming of the roof to run in behind and into the roof space.

“They had also damaged tiles on the roof and bodged some of the guttering.

“When she called us and we arrived she was in floods of tears.

“She said they felt pressed into paying. She said the men even told her they would take her dog and jewellery in lieu of payment. We felt so sorry for them, we did the work for free of charge.

“She later rang up Which and nominated us for the award.”

He said people should never accept cold caller offers to do work on the house or gardens.

He said: “Sadly we are seeing more and more of this kind of thing.

“If you think some work needs doing , my advice is contact more than one trader and get a few quotes. See if they are members of any quality organisations like the Confederation of Roofing Contractors for instance.

“And compare what work each trader says needs doing.”