A CRICKLADE rogue trader has been told to pay tens of thousands to his victims, including a Stratton woman.

Daniel Collins of Bourne Lake Park, Cricklade, was jailed for three and a half years in 2016 after he admitted to six fraud and unfair trading charges.

At Reading Crown Court, the 33-year-old was told to pay back £73,093.01 in compensation to his victims. Among them was an elderly couple from Devizes and a woman living in Upper Stratton.

Collins incorporated the two companies, Designwise Paving and Homepride Paving. Between February and October 2015 he was paid to work on driveways across the region. After starting the work, Collins would inflate his prices that did not reflect the quality of the work done and would leave the work incomplete or in a substandard condition.

An investigation by West Berkshire District Council looked into Collins’ accounts, taking their findings to the crown court.

Judge Emma Nott ruled that the rogue builder had made more than £134,000 from his dealings. He was ordered to pay a confiscation order of £95,721, of which over £73,000 will be paid to the six victims he coerced into paying for poorly executed work. If he fails to pay within the next three months, he can expect to spend 15 months in prison.

Coun Iain McCracken, chairman of West Berkshire Council’s joint public protection committee, said: “These were serious offences as illustrated by the immediate three and half year custodial sentence back in 2016. The painstaking financial investigation carried out by the public protection partnership has traced the proceeds of those crimes.

“This confiscation order and default sentence send a clear message that crimes of this nature will not be allowed to go unpunished.”

Last month, Wiltshire Police issued an appeal for Collins' whereabouts. The 33-year-old was due to be recalled to prison.