Four men, associated with Birmingham-based Plumb-Tech Plumbing and Heating, have been jailed after targeting elderly and vulnerable people across Staffordshire.
In one call out to unblock a toilet, two men charged £672 per hour. They returned the following day to do non-emergency work on a soil pipe at the property, where an emergency rate was again charged. The total cost for ‘unblocking’ the toilet came to £5,642.
Paul Harmer, technical director of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), said: “This is a shocking case. Unfortunately, this type of criminal behaviour damages the image of plumbers generally. Members of the public need to be able to trust the person they are inviting into their home to carry out work. CIPHE members abide by a Code of Professional Standards and this helps to assure their customers that they will receive a professional service.”