A fencing business owner who left customers almost £9,000 out of pocket for shoddy and incomplete work has been handed a suspended prison sentence at Bodmin Magistrates Court.

Raye Watts, 37, of Larcombe Road, St Austell was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for each of the six offences, suspended for 18 months, for misleading customers in relation to landscaping and fencing work carried out in early 2022.

Watts, the sole director of ‘Know a Fence Ltd’, had entered guilty pleas at an earlier hearing to the five charges under the Fraud Act 2006, and a single charge of running a fraudulent business under the Companies Act 2006.

Cornwall Council Trading Standards began their investigation in July 2022 after customers complained that Watts had taken deposits for work that was never started. Despite chasing him, they complained that they were getting get fobbed off with excuses.

In total, four victims were affected, with total losses of almost £9,000. One couple have been left paying back a £4,000 loan, for work done by Watts that was incomplete and of poor quality.

Gary Webster from Cornwall Council Trading Standards said: “Unfortunately, these types of cases continue to be all too common for our team. Customers have put their faith in a business that appears genuine, only for their hopes of improving their homes to lie in tatters following a series of lies and excuses.

“More disappointingly, Mr Watts was a local man, known to at least one of the victims. He failed to engage with our team in trying to resolve these issues with his customers, leaving us with no option but to prosecute.”

Council Portfolio Holder Martyn Alvey added: “The work carried out by our trading standards team sends a clear message; if you do not carry out work to the expected standards, we will take action.”

Watts was also ordered to attend 12 mental health treatments and to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community, and to pay 25% of compensation to the victims, to a total of £2,000, which will be taken from his universal credit each month.

The Buy with Confidence Scheme is administered by Cornwall Council Trading Standards to promote genuine, trustworthy businesses.