On 29 June at Reading Magistrates’ Court Mr Ryan Paul Campion, aged 26, of Rainbow Park, Winnersh, was sentenced after pleading guilty to two offences contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. The sentencing, which followed an investigation by the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) Trading Standards Service working with the PPP Joint Case Management Unit. The investigation followed an initial complaint to Trading Standards service about the tradesman.
In October 2016, Mr Campion, trading as Landscape Creations, was approached by a Wokingham school to quote for providing a raised flower bed behind the school’s Design and Technology building. On his quote being accepted in November 2016, Mr Campion requested a deposit of £1,360, which was duly paid. By 30 January 2017, Mr Campion had never attended to start the work and never paid the deposit back. Mr Campion accepted he mislead the school into thinking the work would be done promptly and that his actions were false and misleading.
In November 2016, again whilst trading as Landscape Creations, Mr Campion agreed to renew the drive and side path with tarmac and lay a side path for a property in Wokingham. He was paid a deposit of £1,100 and started work to remove the existing drive. After only undertaking a day’s work Mr Campion failed to return, leaving the rubble from the old driveway in the rear garden. By January 2017, the work remained unfinished and the complainant was left with the rubble in her rear garden. Mr Campion accepted this work did not comply with the standard expected from tradesman of his field.
Mr Campion was fined £500 for each offence, a total of £1,000. He was also ordered to repay by way of compensation the deposits he had received, a total of £2,460. He was also ordered to pay a contribution towards prosecution costs of £1,182.70 and a victim surcharge of £50.
Commenting on the case Cllr Iain McCracken, Chairman of the Joint Public Protection Committee, said “This is an all too familiar story with a trader not doing the work at all or only partially doing the work. The Partnership will always investigate matters of this nature and where appropriate legal action will follow. This kind of offending that leaves people with damaged property or out of pocket is completely unacceptable. These convictions send a clear message to would-be perpetrators.”
He went on to say: “Any Bracknell, West Berkshire or Wokingham resident that has concerns about activity of this nature, or any other trading standards or public protection matter, should contact the service on 01635 519930 or e-mail tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk”.
The Public Protection Partnership is a shared service of Bracknell Forest Council, West Berkshire Council and Wokingham Borough Council and delivers trading standards, environmental health and licensing functions.
