THE son of a Swindon builder who disappeared six months ago while facing complaints from several unhappy customers, has said he has no idea where his father is.

Sam Goucher’s dad Dean left the town after being accused of a botched job at the home of Esther Jones, who says she has been left £4,200 out of pocket.

Dean’s Home & Garden Maintenance installed a patio at the mum’s house in East Wichel which she says was sub-standard.

She has complained to Swindon Council’s Trading Standards team and says she was contacted by two other unhappy customers after airing her grievances on a website.

Sam, who had traded as Sam’s Home & Garden Maintenance, said of his father: “No one knows where he is, his house is empty. He hasn’t spoken to me since he left.

“He left six months ago last week. I’m getting all the s*** from what he’s left.

“All the customers are coming after me saying it’s the same company. I’ve had to close my company down now because of all the slander and everything’s that’s going on. I’ve got nothing left.”

Sam claimed his father had sent him a text two days after he left to say he could have his tools and van, but had since disconnected his phone.

The 22-year-old also told said he was fighting two court cases related to his father’s business, which has ceased trading.

But Sam defended the work on Mrs Jones’ patio, saying the problems with the job were due to alterations she had asked for, and said he had photographs of the finished job.

Mrs Jones said yesterday that she stood by her complaint and that Sam was among the workmen, employed by his dad’s company, who had bodged the job at her home, which left her with damp in her living room, a patio that was too high, a lack of drainage and uneven slabs.

A neighbour who lives near Dean Goucher’s former trading premises in Park North, who asked not to be named, said: “Mr Goucher left late last October in a caravan for Italy.

“His house was cleared out the night before and the next day his front garden was like a tip.

“There were quite a few complaints against him.”

Trading Standards is investigating Mrs Jones’s complaint. The department is part of the Buy With Confidence scheme which lists approved traders.

Visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk