A 'scam operator' that charged people thousands of pounds for illegal asbestos removal has been fined and ordered to pay their victims compensation.
'Asbestos Boss' removed an asbestos insulating board ceiling from an internal garage at a house in Stockport with 'little to no control measures in place.'
They then dumped the hazardous material outside the property 'littering the road and pavement.' That sparked an investigation by Stockport Trading Standards and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
They then discovered there had been a number of similar cases of the firm carrying out unlicensed work across the country. These included the removal of asbestos insulating board from 20 service cupboards which Asbestos Boss Ltd charged £3,000 for their illegal work.
However a court heard it was of such poor quality, the site owners were quoted £50-£64,000 to put the work right and make it safe.
Investigators found that Asbestos Boss Limited provided fake air test certificates and waste transfer notes to customers and had also falsified asbestos training certificates and insurance documents.
The company and its director/manager Daniel Cockcroft, dubbed a 'rogue trader' by a judge, also breached a prohibition notice on several occasions preventing them from working with licensed asbestos materials.
Stockport Trading Standards brought charges of fraud by false representation against the company and directors in relation to the falsifying of documents with the intent to deceive, as well as unauthorised use of trade and accreditation logos, which prosecutors said 'gave the impression that the business was credible and that workers were adequately trained'.
The HSE brought action against the company and directors for removing asbestos without a licence, failure to prevent spread of asbestos and breach of the prohibition notice at two properties.
Cockcroft of Darnes Avenue, Halifax, pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for 10 months for his role in the 'scam' by a judge at Manchester Magistrates Court last month.
At the same hearing the company, which was not represented in court, was found guilty of all the charges against them after a trial in their absence.
They were last week sentenced at the same courthouse, where they again they were unrepresented and offered no mitigation. They were handed a £80,000 fine and ordered to pay £10,000 compensation to each of their victims by District Judge Bernard Begley.
This is in addition to the £150 compensation orders for each victim to be paid by Daniel Cockcroft following his imprisonment in March.
Judge Begley said that “a message needed to be sent out to anyone who involves themselves in this sort of a scam”. The Judge went on to say that “Asbestos Boss is a scam operator and has duped a number of people, placing them at risk from the scourge of asbestos”.
Following the hearing, Mark Glynn, Director of Place Management, Stockport Council, said: “Our Trading Standards team work closely with other agencies and will do our utmost to ensure offenders like this, who carry out work with no regard for the safety of our residents, are brought to justice.
"We are delighted that these criminals have been held to account. The message is very clear – we will not tolerate this in Stockport and will take robust action wherever possible."
HSE Inspector Matt Greenly said: “Asbestos is a killer. Companies and their directors need to recognise the dangers of removing asbestos by themselves both to their employees and others.
"Asbestos removal should only be carried out by trained personnel who understand the risks and how to control them. Asbestos Boss Limited have deliberately removed a highly dangerous material resulting in a significant risk of exposure to cancer-causing asbestos.
"They not only have put their customers at risk but have also undoubtedly put themselves, their workers, and their families at serious risk."
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- 'My husband was mugged on his way to hospital... why did it take police DAYS to respond?'
- Children at failing nursery 'didn't always have access to drinking water' during Ofsted visit
- Inside the modest house in Greater Manchester which boasts beautiful countryside views
- Man on birthday bar crawl dresses up as Gandalf... and bumps into The Lord of The Rings star Sir Ian McKellen
- Bomb squad called out as police find 'suspicious item' on man who was searched after refusing to pay bus fare
