LEGAL COMPLAINT: This story is the subject of a legal complaint from the solicitors for the defendant Joseph Ashford about the accuracy of the Southampton City Council press release on which it is based.

STAFF at two plumbing companies conned 177 trusting customers out of hundreds of thousands of pounds so they could buy fast cars, jewellery and race horses.

First Active Drainage Ltd and its replacement company Fast Response Maintenance charged customers up to £350 per hour plus VAT to carry out work which experts said was not needed, was done so badly it made things worse or was totally ineffective.

The firms are now set to pay more than £350,000 in compensation to the victims.

Joseph Rodney Ashford, 34 and of Seymour Road, Ringwood, was director of 1st Active Drainage Ltd and Fast Response Maintenance Ltd between 2010 and October 2013.

He paid himself £1.5m in three and half years, spending the money on high performance cars including Ferraris, stays in high-end hotels in London, jewellery, a race horse and expensive rented property.

In this time the companies earned more than £11m and Trading Standards identified more than 850 customer complaints.

Manager James Francis Dean, 32 and of Broadway Lane, Bournemouth, was supposed to have dealt with the complaints, but customers say they were lied to and fobbed off.

Dean received £650,000 including a bonus payment of £800 a month to buy himself a Ferrari on finance.

Forensic accountants say this was all paid for by customers of the two drainage companies.

During a five-month trial at Southampton Crown Court, it was heard that between 2009 and 2013, customers were misled about how their bills were to be calculated and what work needed to be done.

One victim was charged more than £18,000 to repair a blocked toilet.

Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The perpetrators targeted and exploited some of society’s most vulnerable people for the sole purpose of making money for themselves.

"This money has rightfully been returned to the victims. This case demonstrates that preying on vulnerable neighbourhoods and communities will not be tolerated.”

Ashford was found guilty of converting criminal property to the value of £1,513,467 and has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment suspended for two years, 200 hours of unpaid work and £184,221.08 paid in compensation.

Dean was found guilty of converting criminal property to the value of £649,821 and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work and £80,000 paid in compensation.

The following were also found guilty of fraud and sentenced as follow:

Mark Grundy, 39, of Fitzharris Avenue, Bournemouth, nine months imprisonment suspended for two years concurrent on four counts of fraud, 150 hours of unpaid work;

Ryan Sivyour, 26, of Moot Lane, Downton, Salisbury, 15 months imprisonment suspended for two years concurrent on five counts of fraud, 220 hours of unpaid work;

Andrew Ashton, 51, of Kingston Road, Poole, 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years concurrent of five counts of fraud, 220 hours of unpaid work;

Oliver Quinn, 29, of Beswick Avenue, Bournemouth, six months imprisonment suspended for two years concurrent on two counts of fraud, 100 hours of unpaid work;

Jordan Easterbrook, 23, of Gravel Close, Downton, Salisbury, community order for 12 months with unpaid work of 40 hours on one count of fraud;

Craig Watton, 28, of Church View, Aveley, six months imprisonment suspended for two years concurrent on two counts of fraud, 100 hours of unpaid work.

Meanwhile, Justin Brian Perry, 43, of Abbotsfield Close, Southampton, pleaded guilty in December 2016 to conspiracy to defraud. He was sentenced at a separate hearing to 30 months immediate imprisonment and paid £66,000 in compensation.

Grundy, Sivyour, Ashton, Quinn, Easterbrook and Watton were ordered to pay compensation totalling over £30,000.

Residents who believe they are being targeted by fraudsters are urged to report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 03454 04 05 06.