Rogue trader promises to stop rip-offs after TV appearance (From Surrey Comet)

Rogue trader Gareth Walker signs agreement after appearing on Channel 5’s Cowboy Builders

2:00pm Friday 8th February 2013 in News By James Pepper

A rogue trader has signed an agreement not to rip off customers any more.

Gareth Walker, who operates as Dragon Build, was named and shamed on Channel 5’s Cowboy Builders in September 2012.

The 37-year-old builder of Primrose Close, Wallington, was made to sign a formal undertaking by Sutton Council following a further investigation by the council’s Trading Standards team.

It found that between June 2010 and October 2012 Mr Walker was involved in around £200,000 of work that was either unsatisfactory or incomplete.

One victim, Lyndsay MacEwen of Worcester Park who paid Mr Walker £100,000, said Walker was a "a liar and a crook".

Another dissatisfied customer Tristan Crook, also of Worcester Park, who paid £41,000 for work on his home, said, "the items we were told were ordered were never delivered".

A series of other jobs revealed that Mr Walker had performed shoddy work, had falsely claimed membership of professional organisations or simply never completed the work.

At least two customers successfully won County Court Judgements against him in respect of his poor work.

Councillor Richard Clifton, said: "If you suspect that a trader is providing a shoddy service, call the team and they will investigate so we can all protect each other."

The formal undertaking, from Part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002, instructs the signatory to stop providing substandard service or engaging in unfair commercial practice.

If a trader breaks that promise after signing, he can be pursued through the civil courts which can impose an enforcement order.

The Safer Sutton Trader Scheme has been set up so that residents can be confident that certain standards will be met.