TWO men from Poole have been convicted over lies told to elderly victims during sales pitches for solar panels.

Rogue panel traders Nico White and Dylan Ryan were sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on Thursday (August 15) in relation to claims made in relation to the sale of panels to victims across the country by UK Home Energy Group Ltd.

The pair were successfully prosecuted by Wiltshire Council Trading Standards officers, following an investigation prompted by 10 of the victims reporting the incidents to Citizens Advice.

White, 30, was the sole director of the company and employed 22-year-old Ryan as a salesperson.

The victims were all visited by Ryan following an unsolicited telephone call from the firm, when he told them should they have solar panels installed by the company they would be able to sell any excess electricity generated back to their energy companies.

The victims later found this was untrue, as the company had failed to supply the required Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate or equivalent, preventing them from registering their systems with the national grid.

Building regulations completion certificates and electrical safety certificates were also not supplied after the installations.

Ryan also pleaded guilty to telling customers the costs of installation would be recouped within two to three years and should this not be the case an insurance policy would cover any shortfall.

He had also offered the customers a discount which he claimed was due to government grants being available.

All these statements were untrue.

When customers later wrote to the company address on their paperwork, it was returned, as they were not based at the location stated.

At the court, Ryan was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to each of the 10 victims, totalling £20,000, while Mr White was disqualified from acting as a company director for five years and must also pay £1,980 in costs.

Both must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge.

After the sentencings, Cllr Dominic Muns, cabinet member for environment at Wiltshire Council, said: “As part of our Business Plan commitment to protect our residents from harm, rogue traders need to be aware that we will take action and won’t tolerate this type of behaviour in Wiltshire.

“Our advice to residents is to thoroughly research any company or business before hiring them to carry out any work.

“Anyone that receives an unsolicited phone call or an unexpected knock on the door has the right to hang up on the caller or say no.

“Don’t agree to any work on the spot, ask for the person’s ID and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“Our Trading Standards team do all they can to support people to be aware of the signs of unscrupulous traders, and I want to thank the victims in this case for coming forward and sharing their experiences to help us secure these prosecutions.”

Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a rogue trader should contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, on 0808 223 1133.

People looking to find a builder with trading standards approval can visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk.