A ROGUE trader scammed 11 elderly victims by tricking them into paying for pointless repairs.

A jury at Inner London Crown Court today convicted Patrick Cleere, 65, of Ealing Village, of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of converting criminal property following a six-week trial.

Two other defendants, William Cleere, 64, of Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, and Timothy Cleere, 39, of Gurnell Grove, Ealing, previously pleaded guilty to converting criminal property.

All three will be sentenced at the same court on May 10.

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The court heard that 11 elderly and vulnerable victims across Waltham Forest, Enfield, Redbridge, Haringey, Bromley and Essex were targeted between April and  September 2016.

In each case, bogus builders pressured the victims to pay money for fraudulent roofing and drainage repairs, which one building surveyor described as totally pointles”.

Victims were offered a gutter cleaning service, and it was then claimed their roof or drain urgently needed repairing.

In one case, repairs for which a victim paid more than £38,000 were worth just £250.