A member of a rogue trading gang, who scammed 11 elderly victims across London by tricking them into paying for "pointless" repairs, has been found guilty of fraud and money laundering. 

Patrick Cleere, 65 and of Ealing Village, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of converting criminal property. 

A second man, William Cleere, previously pleaded guilty on March 27 to converting criminal property while the third defendant, Timothy Cleere, pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 2 of last year. 

The court heard that the 11 elderly and vulnerable victims were targeted between April 1, 2016 and September 30, 2016.

In each case, cowboy builders pressured the victims to pay money for fraudulent roofing and drainage repairs which one building surveyor described as “totally pointless”.

The scam involved the use of a variety of fake company names to target vulnerable residents and created professional looking leaflets.

Victims were offered a gutter cleaning service and it was then claimed their roof or drain urgently needed repairing.

The group then demanded increasing amounts of money for work that was either not carried out or done to a poor standard.

In one case, building repairs described by a building surveyor as “abysmal”, for which a victim in Penge paid more than £38,000, were worth just £250.

Following an 18-month joint investigation by the Met and Bromley, Enfield and Essex Trading Standards, police charged the defendants on November 17, 2017.

The gang opened numerous bank accounts in false names using fake identification documents.

Detectives managed to traced the defendants through analysis of payments made by the victims.

The group were found to be laundered funds through a complex financial network in the UK and Gibraltar.

Detective Constable David Saffery, who led the investigation, said: "These criminals ruined the lives of the vulnerable and elderly householders they preyed on.

"After a careful and meticulous joint investigation, the scammers have been brought to justice.

"I would urge anyone who has been a victim of this type of criminality to speak to police at the earliest opportunity. We have specialist officers who will investigate and support you."