Cowboy builders made a fortune by painting roof tiles red

A gang of cowboy builders netted £250,000 by telling pensioners they had carried out extensive work on their homes when all they used was a pot of red paint.

The conmen told their victims they had done specialist repairs to broken roof tiles.



But in reality they often simply painted the roofs red before extracting massive amounts of cash for their "work".

John Ward, 44, and his crew would even accompany pensioners to the bank to withdraw cash or organise a loan.

The gang were finally caught when they tried to charge a war veteran £8,400 to clear moss from his roof - a job which should have cost £20.

Four men and a woman now face "substantial" prison sentences after a 24-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.