Two men have been sentenced after defrauding elderly Havering residents out of tens of thousands of pounds.

William Eastwood, 31, of Chelmsford Road, Wickford, and Jack Harbour, 31, of Wellstye Green, Basildon, scammed four people - three from Havering and one from Essex.

The rogue builders made unsolicited approaches to the victims and convinced them that their homes needed work to be done, according to Havering Council.

They would then carry out the work immediately and charge grossly inflated prices to the victims. A surveyor attached to the investigation found the work to be "overpriced", "unneeded" and "poorly done".

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Both men admitted four counts of fraud by false representation and were sentenced at Southend Crown Court on March 20.

Eastwood was jailed for three years and two months, while Harbour was given a 14-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He will also carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and be subject to an electronic curfew for three months.

It follows an investigation by Havering Council trading standards officers, who worked with Essex Police.

Det Sgt Rachel Barrett, from the force's economic crime unit, said: “This is a fantastic result and removing one rogue trader from the community and having stringent conditions placed on another has undoubtedly prevented further vulnerable people from people scammed.

“Fraudsters and con artists such as these manipulate and persuade victims into doing something and can target absolutely anyone.”

Council leader Ray Morgon highlighted the Buy With Confidence scheme so residents can find traders and local businesses that are approved by trading standards to avoid falling prey to scams.

He added: “This is further evidence of the outstanding results our Trading Standards team continue to achieve, working closely with the police.”

Essex Police has recently launched scams awareness online sessions for people to learn how to protect themselves.

To complete, go to friendsagainstscams.org.uk/elearning/EssexPolice.