One pensioner who handed over his life savings to the three cowboy builders, last night told how he was completely fooled by the callous trio.

Meanwhile, the net is closing on doorstep criminals throughout the Northern region with the introduction of No Cold Calling zones and teams of volunteers training vulnerable people how to deal with doorstep callers AN elderly victim befriended by three cowboy builders said last night he was disgusted by what they had done to him.

The 70-year-old, who The Northern Echo has chosen not to name, lost £58,000 in life savings when the trio pretended to carry out work on his home in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire.

He said the men had been friendly with him and befriended him by talking about sport, one of his favourite subjects.

The man, known as Mr D, said: "I am absolutely disgusted in the extreme by what they have done.

"At the time they were very plausible. I trusted they were genuine workmen.

"I was naive in letting them carry on for so long. I have always learned to trust people and people would trust me.

"I am stunned that I have been taken advantage of in this way. It is distressing to think I've lost this amount of money."

The retired pensioner, who lives alone, said he was approached by a man in July last year who told him a dormer window at his property needed to be repaired.

Two weeks later, John Richards arrived with George Chaffer - both gave the man false names - before carrying out shoddy repair work on his roof.

The men said they were working on his property when he was out, so when the elderly victim returned he would not know if any work had been carried out. They would call him at about 7am and insist their victim would meet them outside a bank and hand over cash amounts between £200 and £650.

An investigation by North Yorkshire Trading Standards found they had carried out very little work.

They had repaired one roof tile, put a layer of felt around the dormer window, which officers found was useless, started to vanish floorboards in the unused loft, and put water proof beams in the loft, work which did not need doing.

Ruth Taylor, head of investigations, said the dormer window did need repairing at a cost of £3,000, but the men had taken £58,000 from their victim.

The man now has to pay more money for a reputable builder to do the necessary work on the window.

The victim said: "I was not able to get up on the roof to see if the work had actually been done.

"They were very friendly and chatty, rather than intimidating. I admit I have been foolish, but they were very plausible."