A family garden has been left in a state after a rogue tradesman took off with £2,000 and left the job unfinished.

Jade Stenhouse, from Little Sutton in Ellesmere Port, had booked work with a local tradesman in March after he was recommended to her on a community Facebook group.

Jade, who works as an oncology nurse at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, says she is now left with piles of garden rubble.

Jade told the Globe: “We started doing the garden ourselves because we couldn’t afford to get it done but we soon realised we didn’t have the skills to complete the task ourselves.

Jade was hoping to have family memebers over for the first time since coronavirus to celebrate her partners sons seventh birthday

Jade was hoping to have family memebers over for the first time since coronavirus to celebrate her partner's son's seventh birthday

“We had different gardeners come round to give us quotes but we decided on him due to our own personal budget and he was what we could afford.”

Jade took out a loan and booked the tradesman for the job in March.

She then bank transferred him £450 to secure a date.

Jade Stenhouse and partner Scott Cooper

Jade Stenhouse and partner Scott Cooper

She said: “I still had communication with him via WhatsApp messenger and he was very prompt messaging and phoning backwards and forwards.

“I didn’t have any concerns at this point as he was sending me business headed invoices with his details on and a breakdown of the work he was going to carry out.”

However, a couple of weeks later Jade’s suspicion started to grow.

“He contacted me to say that due to a lack of materials being imported he needed to pay for them in advance.

The garden which was left with piles of rubble

The garden which was left with piles of rubble

“I was slightly suspicious at this point, but I googled it and found what he was saying to be true,” she said.

Jade discussed the situation over the phone with the tradesman and bank transferred him a further £1,220 for the materials.

A week later, Jade noticed reviews had been left on his social media business page from people saying they had been scammed by him.

Jade says she was heartbroken at the state her garden was left in

Jade says she was 'heartbroken' at the state her garden was left in

“People were saying he had taken the money and never finished the job,” she said.

“I tried ringing and messaging him, but he wouldn’t respond.

“Alarm bells started ringing in my head and I rang my bank straight away to tell them what had happened,” she added.

The tradesman has shut down all ways of contact meaning Jade has been unable to get in contact with him since paying him the money.

Jade, who lives with her partner and four children, says the impact it has had on her family is ‘heart breaking’.

Jade with her children, Megan (19), Kieran (15) and Lucy (13)

Jade with her children, Megan (19), Kieran (15) and Lucy (13)

She said: “When I realised, I just thought how stupid could I have been?

“It’s been so stressful especially with the financial impact because now we have to repay this loan and we haven’t got the work to show for it.

“It’s heart breaking what we’ve been left with.”

Jade and her family moved into their current house in October and says the garden was fine initially.

Jade said: “It was a lovely little garden but after the bad rain fall earlier in the year the back garden had completely flooded and we had to get sandbags because water was rising up to the patio doors.

“We found out that we had no drainage system in the back garden so it’s not as if this work was something we wanted doing it was something we needed.”

Jade Stenhouse and partner Scott Cooper moved into their new house in October

Jade Stenhouse and partner Scott Cooper moved into their new house in October

Jade, who is currently recovering from surgery, says they now can’t afford to get the garden repaired and insurance won’t cover the cost.

“We don’t live beyond our means because we just can’t afford it.

“It’s a pain at the moment I’m meant to be recovering at home, but I can’t help but think about how sickening and surreal this situation is I just don’t understand how someone can do this,” she said.

Jade says the plans for her partner’s son’s seventh birthday party can no longer go a head due to the rubble they have been left with.

Scott Cooper with son Riley who was looking forward to celebrating his seventh birthday

Scott Cooper with son Riley who was looking forward to celebrating his seventh birthday

“It’s really upset me because it’s my partners little boy’s birthday in July and we’ve ordered a bouncy castle.

“We wanted to have a birthday party for him to celebrate and do something nice and normal again with our family who we haven’t seen yet since Covid.

“Now I’m gutted because we are going to have to cancel because the garden is a mess and there’s nowhere for the kids to go.”

Jade posted on her Facebook account sharing her experience of what happened and was met with messages from people who had experienced similar situations as her.

The Globe contacted Cheshire Police about the incident who said they were unable to comment due to the money transferred being a mutual agreement between Jade and the tradesman.

Have you had a had a poor experience with local tradesmen? Get in touch rebecca.mcgrath@newsquest.co.uk