Busting those builders who leave poor customers in the lurch; The Government is planning to get tough on cowboy builders by giving councils greater power to deal with poor workmanship, but there's still no fall-back for those who risk going with limited companies that go bust.

Byline: LIZ LAMB reports

FIVE years after Catherine Farrell paid a builder to do work on her home, one room is still an empty shell, and she has had to fork out pounds 3,000 for further work.

The 47-year-old, of Burnopfield, had already shelled out more than pounds 14,000 only to be left with a conservatory she could not lock and a bathroom without a roof or floor.

Despite protests to the builder the work is still uncompleted.

She is one of a number of families each year who are left in the lurch by tradesmen. Her problems were caused by a builder's financial difficulties.

Thousands of pounds each year are also lost by householders who pay out for faulty building work and scams.

From block paving nightmares, dodgy drives, poor guttering or bogus building work, consumers are being left out of pocket by cowboy builders who take their money and run.

Almost 20% of Britons have suffered at the hands of cowboy builders, according to research by Abbey Home Insurance, with many forced to pay for the repairs themselves as a result.

The average bill for damage to a property by sloppy workmen was pounds 224, with one in 10 homeowners having to deal with damage costing at least pounds 1,000.

For many householders, not only do they lose the money they pay to dodgy tradesmen but they also have to fork out more money for the faulty work to be repaired.

Many of the victims who are preyed on by disreputable builders are elderly.

Many are duped by doorstep traders who knock on the door of a property and claim work needs to be done.

The Government is now planning to stamp out cowboy builders who bring misery to thousands of householders each year.

At present, contractors can only be prosecuted for breaches of building regulations within a six-month period after the completion of a project.

Ministers are now proposing that this time limit be increased to two years, as building defects may not become immediately apparent.

The Federation of Master Builders has welcomed the announcement.

Spokesman Brian Berry says: "New Government measures to stamp out cowboy builders and illegal construction are a welcome step to help improve the image of the construction sector Honest, hard-working builders have nothing to fear from these proposals.

"We are reassured that the proposals will create no new burdens for fully compliant builders."

The Office of Fair Trading already runs a campaign to' warn householders about door step selling and how to take steps to ensure they book a reputable tradesman.

The North East is already taking a stand against rogue traders.

Last year the North East Trading Standards Association received Government cash to create a regionwide Scambusters team allowing councils, police and customs departments to share intelligence on crooks operating throughout the area.

Scam merchants who operate across a number of local authority areas can often only find themselves facing charges in one district at a time.

But the introduction of Scambusters meant crooks could be prosecuted for crimes committed across the region.

SafeTrade is an independent organisation maintaining and regulating a register of thousands of contractors who have been screened and who are continually monitored.

Alison Gardiner, who works at the SafeTrade office in High Heaton, Newcastle, says: "Complaints about dodgy workmen are common.

"We get quite a few in the North East.

"If someone comes to us and complains about one of our tradesmen we have procedures in place to deal with them.

"It's sometimes difficult to help people who are using tradesmen who are not registered.

"We are here to make sure people can get reputable contractors so they do not find themselves in a difficult position in the first place."

Builders to have hit the headlines include James Bowes, dubbed the Fiddler on the Roof, who became the first workman to be served with an Asbo.

The 47-year-old, of Arthur's Hill, Newcastle, charged an 81-year-old woman more than pounds 3,000 for work worth only pounds 100 to her Gosforth home.

The Chronicle exposed Stephen Rudd, of home improvements firm Global Seal, who was jailed in 2001 after conning thousands of pounds out of the elderly.

Rudd, of Teal Farm, Washington, admitted nine charges of deception involving orders of more than pounds 13,000 and was jailed for two and a half years.

Electrician John Waugh made the headlines when a string of botched jobs saw him hit with fines of more than pounds 16,000.

Waugh, 47, of St Alban's Crescent, Heaton, Newcastle, carried out shoddy rewiring work that could have killed his customers.

Another couple who have been left out of pocket is pensioners Elsie and George Atkinson, 68, of High Heaton.

They employed Tarmac specialist Andrew Owens to lay Tarmac at the side of their drive in July 2006.

Mrs Atkinson, 65, reported that it had not set properly.

At Christmas the couple were visited by Mr Owens who promised to rectify the problem but they claim they have heard nothing since and their one-year guarantee has since run out.

"He said it would cost pounds 2,000 but I said I could not afford that so he said he would speak to the gaffer and get a discount and then said it would cost pounds 900," says Mrs Atkinson.

"We are both pensioners. I had to borrow the money from my daughter and I am still paying her back now.

"Some of the Tarmac was sinking. You couldn't put anything on top of it."

Mrs Atkinson called the tradesman several times and sent him a letter by recorded delivery but to no avail.

Mrs Atkinson says: "We can't afford to lose that money.

"I can't afford to get anybody in to sort it out.

"I'm really fed-up."

Yesterday, Mr Owens did not return the Chronicle's calls.

Apart from sharp practices and shoddy work some customers like Catherine Farrell are left in the lurch by builders or building firms that simply run into financial difficulties.

Three years ago The Chronicle highlighted the work of building firm boss David Guttridge after a string of complaints from readers.

Mr Guttridge was appointed director of a new company DG (Newcastle) Limited, which had a shop in Sunniside, after being director of seven companies, many of which went into voluntary liquidation, including DG Plastics (NE) Limited.

The company which built Catherine Farrell's conservatory left it unfinished due to financial problems.

Catherine says: "I paid over pounds 14,000 for the work but then I had to spend nearly pounds 3,000 to get further work done. I had to save up that money.

"Even now five years on one room is still uninhabitable.

"It's a shell.

"Because of a new company and name he said that although I had an agreement I didn't have an agreement with him.

"I am still upset about it all now.

"There is still work that needs to be done but I have to save up for that as I have put two daughters through university and I have another one starting in September.

"It's been a complete nightmare."

Previously David Guttridge defended his work record and has said he worked within the law.

His solicitor Graham Jamieson said this new legislation was not directed at his client. "There was nothing the matter with the standard of the work itself but unfortunately the company was unable to complete the work for financial reasons five years ago.

"He's been working since then without any problems whatsoever.

"He's never had a complaint about his workmanship."

Because the name changed Mr Gutteridge said that although I had an agreement I didn't have an agreement with him

CAPTION(S):

DISSATISFIED: Catherine Farrell, from Bunopfield, who is unhappy with the builder who made her conservatory; right, the dodgy flashing; CONNED: Above, Elsie Atkinson, from Heaton, who was the victim of bogus workmen who badly resurfaced her front garden. Right, Elsie with promising literature from the builder