A COUPLE were devastated after a landscaper pocketed thousands of pounds and left their garden in a mess without finishing the job.

Danny Riley was promised by the workman the transformation of the back garden of his new home would be completed by the time he returned home from a two-week holiday to Newquay.

However, when the 26-year-old and his girlfriend, Lucy Brennan, 21, returned to their home off Kirk Road in Church, they discovered holes, bags of compost, plastic sheeting and gravel strewn across the garden.

The heavy goods vehicle driver said the pair, who have been together for more than 18 months, were contacted by a man after putting out a call on a Facebook buy and sell page.

Mr Riley, who moved into the home with his girlfriend in June, said the man, who went by the name Peter Cameron Hill, approached him and said he could complete their request of new paving, artificial turf and decking for £4,000.

Mr Riley said the man told him they needed to pay £2,000 up front as a deposit and the remaining £2,000 in instalments.

Mr Riley said the pair were happy with this plan and paid the deposit, however, this was when things started to go wrong.

He said: “The man told us the deposit didn’t go through and asked for the other £2,000.

“We paid the money and he told us he’d have the job done by the time we came back from Newquay.

“However, when we came back we were left with the garden looking a mess.

“We were absolutely devastated.

“We had saved up a lot of money and now it had gone, and we still had an awful garden.”

The couple tried to contact Mr Hill, whose business went under the name Clayton LGMS, on several occasions but was not able to get a response.

Mr Riley said: “We went to his home and his landlord said he had left and she hadn’t heard from him either.

“He’s deleted his social media accounts and has blocked our numbers.

“We’re very upset, we’re not going to be able to get any work done now because it's winter and we don’t have the money.

“It looks like he’s started the job to make it look legitimate, then asked for more money and left. We want to warn others about this man and urge people to not do any business with him.”