A PENSIONER was cheated out of life savings of nearly £20,000 by bogus roof repair workmen.

Seventy-two years-old retired caretaker Eric Farrington was first told the work on his home in Wellington Road, Bromsgrove, would cost only £12.

But as the days went by, demands for cash escalated, said Mr Robin Lewis, prosecuting. The conmen even took him to the building society to withdraw money.

Two Birmingham men, Glenn Pardoe, aged 43, of Bessborough Road, and Stephen Pope, 25, of Eastleigh Grove, in Yardley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud.

Pardoe was jailed for two years, six months and Pope for 18 months at Worcester Court Court last Friday, May 25.

The court was told Pardoe's 45-year-old brother, John, had also been charged but died before the case came to court.

Judge Frank Chapman described the offence as 'despicable and mean'.

He told the defendants: "You were like leeches sucking the life savings from an old, sick and vulnerable man.

"You have left him with nothing and your behaviour was comtemptible."

Mr Lewis said the men carried out a door-knock on March 2, 1999.

They had a van bearing the name Area Plastics and told Mr Farrington that ridge tiles were loose on his roof.

The estimate of £12 soon increased to £2,000 and there were other demands to cover bogus VAT payments and a 15-year guarantee.

They also obtained £16,500 from Mr Farrington by saying he would be reimbursed by his insurance company for storm damage.

Minimal work was carried out, said Mr Lewis, and Mr Farrington had to pay another £1,400 to have it rectified. Mr Farrington picked out Pardoe in an identity parade and police found two cheques had been "laundered" through Pope's bank acco-unt.

Pope is currently serving a four-year sentence for robbery.

His barrister, Sybil Thomas, said he was determined to learn skills in prison so he could get on with life when he was released.

Judge Chapman said his 18-month jail sentence would start immediately so the earliest he could apply for parole was next March.

Martin Butterworth, for Pardoe, said he had difficulty in coming to terms with his brother's death but the family were gathering round to help his mental difficulties.