A pensioner who needed a dropped kerb and driveway so his cancer-suffering partner could get about was conned out of almost £1,000 by a rogue trader.

Time and time again Ronald Diton fraudulently obtained cash for work on kerbs and driveways.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to a number of offences in 2014. He was told to pay back almost £10,000, and given a six-month suspended sentence.

But the money has not materialised so last week he was ordered by the courts to pay it by the end of April or face jail.

One of his victims was James Smith.

The 69-year-old grandfather employed Diton in 2011 to turn his front garden into a driveway, after his partner Patricia Payne contracted cancer and after a number of operations found it almost impossible to walk

Mr Smith, of Priory Road, Gillingham, wrote Diton out a cheque dated a couple of days before the work was due but he did not turn up.

Previously a builder himself Mr Smith said: “The whole thing was very upsetting and put a huge strain on me and Pat. Diton knew the situation, and what he was putting us through.

“He told so many lies, it was unbelievable.”

Mr Smith, who has two children and four grandchildren, paid Diton £960. After numerous calls and texts from Diton promising to come around with the money, he never did.

"Diton knew the situation, and what he was putting us through. He told so many lies, it was unbelievable.” - Mr Smith

Mr Smith took him to the small claims court and was granted compensation – but that was never paid either.

In the end Mr Smith, who now has bowel cancer himself, contacted the police and got the ball rolling on the investigations into Diton.

He and Ms Payne lived together six years but she passed away at Christmas 2013, aged 72.

Mr Smith did initially check that Diton was on Medway Council’s trusted traders list. However the council got in touch with Mr Smith just before work started to say Diton was actually not qualified for dropped kerbs and he has been taken off the list.

Diton convinced Mr Smith he was good for the work, showing him an array of certificates and qualifications as well as his professional website, and spun him a line that there was a mix up with the council and his builder father, also called Ron Diton.

Mr Smith rang round other trusted traders but none could start the work before three months, while Diton offer three weeks, and with Ms Payne’s declining health time was of the essence.

In the end though, Mr Smith did have to wait and also pay another £1,200 to have the work done properly. Totalling a £2,160 pay out.

Diton is still advertising his business, Diton Surfacing, online and Mr Smith added: “I don’t know how he can get away with it. People need to watch out for him.”

Financial investigator, Steve Paine of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “People paid out substantial amounts of money in good faith, expecting the work to be carried out.

“It’s understandable they suffered great distress when it was not done and they could not get their money back.

“It is right we continue to relentlessly pursue the profits this man made to ensure it is rightly returned to the victims.”

The Medway Messenger requested a photograph of Diton from police but this was refused.