A SALISBURY roofing business has replaced an elderly couple’s roof free of charge after they unknowingly hired rogue traders.

Max Donohue owns MD Roofing, a "small business in the heart of Salisbury",  but this is the first time he’s done a free repair of this kind.

Jessie Barratt, a carer from Salisbury, became aware that something wasn't quite right while she was visiting the couple.

One day she arrived and knew something was wrong so she called he police and got in touch with MD Roofing, she said: "I was so pleased to be able to help the couple get it fixed as they were so worried when police haulted work."

"Luckily for them, Jessie was around and put a stop to all the works, got hold of me and the police and we sorted it all out," added Max.

After meeting the elderly couple and seeing the roof, Max wanted to do everything he could to help. He said: “The state of the roof was really bad, I just felt really sorry for them, so I wanted to help.”

Salisbury Journal: Replacing the roof was a team effort from local businessesReplacing the roof was a team effort from local businesses

Replacing the roof took five days and was a collective effort from several local businesses: Jewson and Ruby Roofing in Salisbury provided the supplies, CB Skips supplied a free skip, while Joe Sanger and Wayne Jackson from Dynamite Scaffolding provided the much-needed support, which Max said the original roofers had none of.

“From our point of view, replacing a roof requires scaffolding. The original traders turned up with no scaffolding, it’s just not safe,” he added.

Max replaces roofs most weeks but was shocked by what he saw in this case, he said: “That was the worst I’ve seen in a long time and to do that to a whole roof is terrible, but we're more than happy to help."

How you can avoid falling victim

Max’s advice to anyone looking to get work done and avoid rogue traders is simple, “always get three or four quotes, the couple only got one quote”.

Upholding a good reputation is essential part of being a legitimate trader, Max advises to "always go to someone that is reputable" but warned "it's always going to happen, these people aren't going to stop".

Checking the online presence and reviews of a trader can also help you determine their legitimacy, but if you’re in doubt reach out to Trading Standards.

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