A TAVISTOCK builder, who stepped in to rescue a disabled man when he was left high and dry by a conman, has been praised for his generosity.
John Kingdom, who lives in Plymouth, ordered a conservatory and handed over £5,000 to a builder, who then failed to do any more than lay the foundations.
Left with no conservatory and a mess in his garden, Mr Kingdom rang around other companies to get his sun lounge built and that is when he chanced across John Mitchell from Lynher Windows in Tavistock.
'I was ringing round for lots of quotes and I'd heard of this fellow from a friend.
'I told him the story — I wasn't trying to get something for nothing out of him — and he said he would do it for what it cost him,' he said.
The price John Mitchell charged was around half of what anybody else wanted for the work and it was done quickly and to a very high standard. Mr Mitchell even had as many as eight of his workers on the job at one time.
'You can imagine how I felt. I was near to tears. This fellow was a saviour.
'There are good people out there,' said Mr Kingdom.
Mr Mitchell said: 'He was obviously in a bit of a state and I felt we could help out, which we did.'
l It is understood the police are investigating a number of similar frauds carried out by the conman.