Gary Potticary, a 64-year-old scammer, received a six-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay £10,000 in fines, costs, and compensation to his victims in Bromyard and Swindon.

In addition, he has been disqualified from serving as a director for four years.

Potticary was found guilty of seven charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

As a salesman, he targeted elderly residents, deceiving a vulnerable 81-year-old in Bromyard into installing unnecessary spray foam loft insulation at excessive cost in 2016.

At the time, he was working for GER (Southern) Ltd, a company run by Martin Hancox, who had previously been prosecuted by Herefordshire Council.

As the director and salesman for Spectrum Energy Guard, Potticary returned to the same victim’s home in 2019, conning him into having a waterproof wall coating installed under the pretence that without it, his cavity wall insulation would become soaking wet and cause damp in the home.

Potticary also pleaded guilty to failing to provide the consumer with the full 14-day cooling-off period required by law.

Later in 2019, Potticary’s company deceived an elderly victim in Wiltshire into having unnecessary waterproof roof coating work done.