A PENSIONER who has dedicated her life to helping others was scammed out of £550 by a rogue builder.

Diana Caldicott, aged 86, handed over the cash to a man who had offered to fix tiling and the pointing on her home.

At first everything seemed in order, but when she returned from a 20-minute shopping trip the man had left, taking the cash and leaving the work barely started.

Mrs Caldicott, who was made an MBE for services to charity last year in recognition of her four decades with the WRVS laundry service in Malvern, said she felt “stupid and really cross” with herself when she realised what had happened.

The man had first knocked on her door at Albert Road South, Malvern, and offered to fix some loose tiles.

As Mrs Caldicott took him through the house, he noticed a leak from the roof into the porchway and offered to fix it all for £350.

Mrs Caldicott said: “He said he would come back, but I thought that the price was very cheap and expected that he would ask for more.

"He came back as promised but said he had been thinking about it and it would cost a bit more. We agreed on £550.”

On his return visit he was with another man and they started work.

He soon told Mrs Caldicott he would need the money to cover the cost of materials.

She said: “As I handed it over he was on the phone and said he was going to get a friend and the materials.

“I went out and when I got back there was no sign of them. I thought perhaps they were getting the materials but by the evening I knew for certain that I had been done.

“I think it was the fact that he was on the phone that threw me off.

“Ordinarily, I would have asked him how much he needed for the materials and just given him that.

"I really do believe that what happened was spur of the moment.”

Mrs Caldicott’s friend John McCarry said he was shocked by what had happened.

He said: “I think picking on someone who is 86 and has dedicated so much of her life to helping other people is absolutely wicked.”

Mrs Caldicott contacted the police, but they will not be taking proceedings any further as it is considered a civil matter, of the type handled by trading standards.

Mrs Caldicott does not have a record of the man’s name and has accepted that she will not get the money back.

However, she hopes that her experience will serve as a warning to others.

She said: “I’d just encourage people to be on their guard, especially when handing over money. Clearly there are some dishonest people out there.”