A grandad 'felt stupid' after forking out £500 to a local handyman who did not to show up to do repair work at his home.
Victor Moore, who is aged in his 80s, used a website to search for a tradesman to carry work at his home and was contacted by construction boss David Lee Jones, LancsLive reports.
Mr Lee Jones then visited Victor at his house in Burnley and quoted £1,000 to do the job.
He asked Victor, who suffers from several health conditions and has a pacemaker fitted, to pay a £500 deposit in cash for materials which he agreed to pay in cash as Jones claimed his 'bank account isn't working'.
Victor's daughter-in-law, Jade Stanley, says he was left 'heartbroken' and 'embarrassed' when Jones never returned.
Jade said "[Victor] needed some jobs doing and he went onto bark.com and found someone. The guy came round and seemed really nice and asked for £500 for materials.
"He then gave Victor a sob story saying 'my bank isn't working at the moment' and asked for cash. Victor paid him but he hasn't turned up to do the work. Victor rang us saying he was really upset and felt stupid and embarrassed."
LancsLive spoke contacted David Jones on the phone number for his company Rhino Construction NW Ltd, and asked why he hadn't returned the £500 deposit.
"I don't really have much comment on this because this is a matter with the police," David said. "I have got the £500, I haven't spent it."
He then agreed to a refund and said he would post a cheque to Victor within the following seven days.
Rhino Construction NW, set up in January 2023, is registered at Primrose Hill Court in Oldham. David Jones' details, published on Companies House, show he lives in Littleborough.
David said he had chosen the name 'Rhino' replied: "Because I'm a big lad."
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