Rogue trader jailed after investigation
A Lanarkshire man was sentenced to prison after falsely claiming to be NICEIC registered. The man from Belshill was ordered to spend 11 weeks in prison and fined £675 at Hamilton Sheriff Court recently. He pleaded guilty to running a fraudulent scheme by pretending he was an NICEIC Approved Contractor and authorised to issue NICEIC certificates and reports, which resulted in him obtaining money by fraudulent means. He also claimed he was a SELECT Approved Contractor and a Building Standards Approved Certifier. The action was taken by the North Lanarkshire Council Trading Standards team following a joint investigation with NICEIC. Michael McPake, of North Lanarkshire Council, commented, “I am delighted at the success of this case, which shows the continuing diligence of the council’s trading standards staff who pursue criminal enterprises, protecting consumers and the interests of legitimate trade. “We will continue to take a zero tolerance approach to individuals who rip off residents or businesses within our community.” NICEIC has urged anyone who is suspicious about using a registered electrician to check his or her details at the website www.niceic.com It contains a full list of all those contractors who are legitimately registered with NICEIC. “This latest prosecution shows how seriously we take misuse of our logo,” commented NICEIC CEO Emma Clancy. “It also sends out the message that anyone thinking about using our logo fraudulently will be caught and dealt with appropriately by the courts. “The NICEIC name is associated with quality and we will work with the appropriate authorities to protect those contractors who are legitimately registered with us and have the quality of their work assessed on a regular basis.” Contractors caught falsely claiming to be members will be named and shamed on the NICEIC website and their details passed to Trading Standards.
