A pair of father and son fraudsters bullied a Sittingbourne man into handing over more than £30,000 for doing some minor work in his garden.

The bogus tree surgeons, both named Daniel Mobey, harassed their victim, who was in his 60s, over a three-year period, demanding extra payments for work which had originally been priced at £4,000.

The conmen initially approached the man in January 2015, when they offered to cut back trees in his garden and agreed to remove some overgrown bushes.

The job was completed over six weekends and the victim paid the agreed price in instalments.

Despite no further money being owed, from January 2016 the Mobeys continued to visit the victim, seeking extra cash. Over a three-year period he was coerced into paying them an extra £31,160.

The incidents were first reported to Kent Police in 2017. The victim was able to give descriptions of the offenders, including that the younger of the two had a distinctive gold tooth. In 2018, the investigation led to the arrests of 66-year-old Daniel Mobey, of Highstreet Road, Hernhill and Daniel Mobey, 39, of Western Avenue, Herne Bay.

Both were charged with fraud, which they denied, but were convicted by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

On Thursday, Mobey Jnr was jailed for two years and six months. The court heard his father had played a lesser role and he received a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and a three-month tagged curfew.

DC Chris Groves said: "The victim was intimidated by Daniel Mobey and his father, who had presented themselves as honest tradesmen. In reality, they carried out what was essentially some minor work in this man’s garden and then repeatedly targeted him into paying them large sums of cash.

"Offences like this have a devastating impact on victims, whose confidence and trust can be destroyed and they also tarnish the good name of the vast majority of tradespeople who work with honesty and integrity.

"This case should serve as a reminder to other householders to be cautious of who you allow to carry out work on your property. Always ensure you are provided with a quote in advance, and always get a second or third opinion if someone calls at your address claiming there is something that needs addressing or fixing."