A cowboy builder has been named and shamed after scamming three homeowners out of thousands of pounds.

Mark Bell, 41, of West Road in Farnborough appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on April 16, 2024 where he was convicted of failing to meet professional standards of a reasonable competent and diligent trader during his work with ‘MBS Roofing and Guttering’.

Three homeowners paid a total of £14,200 for home improvements on their properties promised by Bell.

He was found to have failed to deliver the services promised, either to a professional and reasonable standard or at all.

The court sentenced the fraudster to a 12-month Community Order with a requirement to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also forced to pay one homeowner compensation of £4000.

Sean Murphy, service lead for public protection, said: “This case hopefully sends a clear message to traders that we will investigate where there are allegations of unfair trading. Bracknell Forest Council takes incidents of this nature very seriously.”