Arthur Draper, 41, of no fixed address, was sentenced to an additional three years in prison at St Albans Crown Court on 23 January 2026 for running a roofing scam that targeted residents in Cheshunt and elsewhere in Hertfordshire. A joint investigation by Hertfordshire County Council Trading Standards and National Trading Standards found Draper sought to defraud homeowners by falsely claiming urgent roof repairs were needed.
Draper used cold-calling/door-to-door tactics and pressured residents into paying for unnecessary, incomplete or substandard roofing work. Between 1 November 2022 and 31 January 2023 he sought to defraud homeowners of £141,900; investigators say £90,200 was obtained via cheques and bank transfers. Victims included elderly and vulnerable people, some in their 90s. The sentencing judge, HHJ Mann, said: “You make money by stealing from old and vulnerable people. It is what you do.”
The three-year sentence will run consecutively to a December 2025 sentence of six years and four months imposed at Leicester Crown Court for similar offending, bringing Draper’s total custodial term to nine years and four months. In connected proceedings, Andrew Mellor, 42, pleaded guilty to converting criminal property of £33,600 (money laundering) and is due to be sentenced later in 2026.
Local officials urge residents not to engage with unsolicited doorstep offers of building work. To find a reliable trader, homeowners are advised to use Hertfordshire Trading Standards’ approved lists or the Which? Trusted Trader scheme. If you are concerned about a trader, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 or report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
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