Lottery Winner Left With Nothing After Bogus Roofers Plunder His Life Savings

Stephen Cox was planning to live a comfortable life but was left with nothing after two roofers conned him. PHOTO: Mirror

Stephen Cox, 63, won £101,000 (US$152,000) on the UK National Lottery in 2003 and had lived a comfortable life until he was cajoled into making at least six trips to the bank.

He withdraw huge sums to have the roof of his semi-detached home fixed in Greater Manchester by two bogus roofers.

The conmen carried out no work and took virtually all of Stephen’s savings leaving the retired factory worker relying on benefits.

He now has pre-pay meters for his gas and electricity and has been forced to cancel his Sky Sports subscription.

The two con artists first knocked on his door in April or May but Stephen told them to ‘forget it’ when they told him his roof needed work because of damp.

But the pair wouldn’t take no for an answer and pressurised the householder into agreeing to pay £60,000 for the ‘work’.

The men urged Stephen to tell bank staff he was ‘buying a race horse’.

During the next two months they ferried Stephen to the Nationwide and Halifax banks in Walkden in their white van so he could withdraw huge sums of money totalling close to £80,000 (US$120,00), his life savings.

No work was ever done on his roof.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on (UK) 0161 856 2089 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

READ MORE: Manchester Evening News