A trio of rogue traders from Swanley and Hextable have been jailed for nearly 11 years for conning victims out of £64,850.

Brothers Emmanuel Arnold, 21, and Thomas Arnold, 19, of Lower Road, Hextable, were part of a scam involving David James, 28, of Laburnum Avenue, Swanley.

Between 2012 and 2013, more than a dozen victims paid a total of £64,850 for work which often was worthless, or in some cases actually damaged their properties.

One of the group’s victims was an elderly woman from Istead Rise who paid £37,000 for roofing work which had serious flaws and even if done properly would have been worth just £749.

After complaints from residents, police arrested James while making enquiries in Istead Rise in April last year.

Detective Constable Tom Wilson said: "When we interviewed James and asked why the group was targeting mainly elderly people for work, he said ‘I suppose they’re easier to rip off’."

The Arnold brothers were arrested at a caravan site in Lower Road, Hextable, on July 24 last year.

Along with James they were convicted of conspiracy to defraud following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

On September 19 Emmanuel Arnold was jailed for four years and six months while Thomas Arnold was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institute.

James was sentenced to three years and five months having also been found guilty of concealing the proceeds of crime.

Kristofer Batchelor, 21, of Sun Court, Erith, and 19 year-old Patience Mobey of Lower Road, Hextable, were also found guilty of the same offence.

Batchelor and Mobey had paid cheques written by the victims into their own bank accounts.

Batchelor and Mobey were both ordered by the court to carry out 120 hours of community work, given a four-month curfew and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.