Fraudulent roofing gang sentenced after £370,000 scam on elderly victims

Five men have today (10 October) been sentenced to a combined sentence of over 13 years at Bristol Crown Court for their roles in a large-scale fraud and money laundering operation which targeted older and vulnerable victims across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Herefordshire.

Between January and December 2022, the group exploited victims - with an average age of 74 - to steal more than £370,000, luring them in with offers of low-cost guttering work before pressuring them with false claims of roof damage to pay thousands for unnecessary and poor-quality repairs.

The members have been convicted and sentenced as follows: 

• Carl Davies, aged 32, formerly of Lloyd Baker Street, Islington, London, sentenced to 4 years and 6 months for participating in a fraudulent business

• David Chalk, aged 30, formerly of Green Acres Mobile Home Park, Chertsey, Surrey, sentenced to 3 years and 2 months for participating in a fraudulent business
  • Mr Chalk and Mr Davies were also issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order, preventing them from engaging in property maintenance work of any kind in the future

• Vincent Allsopp, aged 37, of Bayfield Gardens, Dymock, Gloucestershire, sentenced to 3 years for money laundering charges

• Stuart Woodward, aged 35, of The Homend, Ledbury, sentenced to 1 year and 10 months or money laundering charges
  • Decision on immediate or suspended to be delayed for 6 months

• Callum Taylor, aged 26, formerly of Herrick Vale, Ledbury, sentenced to 1 year 4 months for money laundering charges
  • Suspended for 2 years. 200 hrs unpaid work and a curfew.

Davies and Chalk were identified as the ringleaders of the organised fraud, directing operations and recruiting others to assist them. Allsopp played a key role in setting up and running the false business front, holding multiple bank accounts through which victims’ payments were channelled. Below them, Woodward and Taylor allowed their personal bank accounts to be used to disguise the flow of criminal funds.

The group used the aliases Adam, Andy and Allsopp interchangeably when visiting victims, creating confusion and hiding who was actually behind the fraud. Today’s charges relate to work performed by companies trading as ‘Andy’s Gutters/Roofing’ and ‘Guttering’.

One victim, a pensioner from Salisbury, was quoted £14,000 for roof repairs after initially calling about a blocked gutter. The price was later inflated to £36,500 following claims of rotten rafters. Over several weeks, she was coerced into paying for supposed extra materials, shown photos of apparent roof damage that the victim wasn't confident were even from her home and threatened that work would be abandoned when she questioned costs. An independent inspector later found the roof never needed replacing and the work was “very poor.” She lost £58,000 to the group and paid a further £22,000 to fix their damage.

Another victim, an 86-year-old woman from Ledbury (now deceased), was targeted while her sister, who she lived with, was in hospital. The fraudsters exploited her vulnerability, pressuring her to agree to work and refusing to provide invoices, saying, “you trust us don’t you?” On more than one occasion gang members let themselves into her home through the back door and called frequently asking for more and more money. She paid more than £86,000 and was later handed a fake £120,000 compensation cheque that bounced.

In total, nine homes were targeted. The fraudsters laundered their proceeds through multiple bank accounts and associates, spending tens of thousands on gambling and cash withdrawals.

A detailed investigation by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigation Team (South West), hosted by Bristol City Council, uncovered the criminals’ operations and finances through extensive analysis of bank records, witness statements, and expert building reports proving the work was unnecessary and dangerously poor.

Today’s sentencing follows a series of guilty pleas at Bristol Crown Court: David Chalk admitted Fraudulent Trading under the Fraud Act and Callum Taylor admitted money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act on 9 June 2025. Carl Davies pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading under the Fraud Act and Companies Act on 9 September 2025, while Vincent Allsopp and Stuart Woodward both pleaded guilty to Money Laundering offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act on 10 September 2025.

Amy Chapman, Investigation Team Manager for the NTS South West Regional Investigation Team, said:

“This complex trading standards investigation was supported by many policing partners, including regional organised crime units in the South West, South East and Metropolitan areas who worked with National Trading Standards officers. The success of this operation highlights the power of effective collaboration and intelligence sharing between partners. Together we can dismantle vast organised fraudulent operations, better protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities and send a clear message to would be fraudsters that crime does not pay.”

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, said:

"These fraudsters preyed on vulnerable people in their own homes, approaching victims through cold calls and misleading flyers before using lies and intimidation to extract large sums of money for unnecessary and poor-quality work. Their actions caused significant financial and emotional distress. This sentencing sends a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

“Anyone who has been affected by criminals posing as legitimate traders or knows someone who has should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline on 0808 223 1133."