Hero steps in to help elderly victim of cowboy builder

A Blackpool roofing specialist who came to the rescue after a vulnerable pensioner fell foul of unscrupulous cold callers has won a local hero award. Kind-hearted director of JR Roofing Lancs Ltd. Josh Morrison, 35, took home the Local Hero trophy, sponsored by SIG Roofing, at this year’s UK Roofing Awards, with judges praising his many acts of kindness, including coming to the aid of a customer who had suffered extensive damage following a poor roof repair which he rectified for free.

The pensioner in her 70s contacted the firm after forking out £8,000 which she was quoted by ‘cowboy’ builders.

Josh, who is something of Batman fighting against rogue traders in the building trade, and his team undertook rectifying the problem for the woman but refused to let her pay.

Josh said: “I told the lady I couldn’t take any more money from her. It was an at of kindness. She was so lovely and passed me an envelope with some money and said she wanted to make a donation to a charity of my choice.

“I chose to make a donation to for my grandad Patrick who was in The Parachute Regiment.

“It took about two days to fix everything.”

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Josh and his team are no strangers to collecting awards having won Which Trader of the Month twice - one in 2022 and one in January.

Offering others some advice when choosing a building company so as not to fall foul of rogue traders, he added: “Make sure to check that the credentials of the place, that they are a part of the National Federation Roofing Contractors, Which trader approved and also get three separate quotes and read the reviews posted on the company.

Danielle Powell of JR Roofing nominated Josh for the award which he had no idea about until he attended the awards ceremony.

Speaking on why she nominated Josh, Danielle said: “I nominated Josh for the award as I thought he deserved the recognition for all he does to help people.

“Josh goes above and beyond for our customers, helps people that have been affected by cowboy roofers, and is dedicated to providing support and training for the next generation of roofers starting out in their careers.

“I've seen first hand the difference Josh has made in our local community. His kindness, generosity, and passion truly make him a local hero.”