Wigan conman's victims speak out in bid to halt his exploits

The Post has reported how Ian Doughty, from Lowton, lost £5,800 when a trader he had paid to fit a new bathroom and boiler suddenly disappeared.

More people claiming to have fallen victim to the same man have now come forward to share their experiences.

While the Post cannot name the workman, they all believe they were targeted by the same person.

Joan Ditchett, 70, asked the trader for a quote to install radiators at her home in Walkden and was told it would cost £1,500.

A bank transfer of £250 was made and when the man returned a few days later with two radiators, he said he needed £1,000.

After the man showed his driving licence as proof of his identity - just like he did with Mr Doughty - Mrs Ditchett went to the bank and got the cash for him.

Her daughter-in-law Lisa Taylor said: “He never came back. We tried contacting him and he didn’t answer or he was making excuses up.”

The matter was reported to the police and had a big impact on Mrs Ditchett, who had to pay someone else to do the work.

Miss Taylor said: “She has been scared stiff. Mentally, she doesn’t trust anybody now. It makes people dubious. She is elderly and lives on her own. It’s not nice and it has sent her into a depression.”

Mother-of-three Marie Gunner asked the man to fit a new shower after finding him on Facebook’s marketplace.

But she later discovered it needed rewiring and paid £250 to get the work done.

Miss Gunner, 42, who lives in Hindley, said: “The next thing he was making excuses, saying his son had to be rushed into hospital three different times.”

She tried to get her money back, but refused persistent requests for her bank details and said it had to be returned in cash.

But the money was not refunded and neither was the work done, so Marie had to pay a similar amount to have the rewiring carried out by someone else.

She found the new worker via website Trust A Trader and encouraged other people to do the same.

“Don’t give money upfront,” she said. “Make sure they are reputable by checking Trust A Trader for example. Always look for references and if you are not sure, don’t give any money upfront.”

Kelly Cooper had an en suite bathroom installed by the trader around four years ago.

While the work was finished, she says it was not up to standard and there are still problems with it. She and her husband had to do some work themselves and even collected materials, such as tiles, for the traders.

They had to pay more than the original quote when the workmen found problems which meant a wall needed to be replaced.

Mrs Cooper, 38, who lives in Newton, said: “They did the work but I remember there being days in between they didn’t come and I waited all day for them.”

Wigan Council operates a Good Trader Scheme, which aims to help people find reputable traders for property repairs, home improvements, gardening services and other services around the home. It can be found at goodtraderscheme.com.

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