Merlins Bridge garden clearance pair admit fraud and consumer offences, Wales 2026

Key Points

• Billy Lovell, 38, and Timothy Lovell, 36, of Merlins Bridge, Pembrokeshire, both pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on 18 September 2026 to seven charges between them concerning garden and ground clearance services.
• These offences took place across west Wales, including in locations such as Crymych, Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Mathry, Sardis and Carmarthenshire, and the victims were said to be vulnerable by the council.
• Billy Lovell admitted to one charge of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006 and three charges of misleading omission under consumer protection regulations for failure to notify clients of their cancellation right and other information.
• Timothy Lovell admitted to one charge of unfair commercial practice and two charges of aggressive commercial practice under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for pressurising customers who were then being manipulated.
• The case was brought forward by the Pembrokeshire County Council Trading Standards unit; Cllr Aaron Carey said that victims had been subjected to financial and emotional abuse through pressure and manipulation.
• Both Lovells had previously been charged in June 2026 with 26 offences in total, including fraud charges to the tune of nearly £80,000, before pleading guilty to fewer charges.

Wales (Wales Times) October 02, 2026 – Two garden clearance traders from Merlins Bridge have admitted fraud and consumer protection offences after a Trading Standards investigation found they misled customers about the work required, repeatedly demanded payment and used pressure tactics to discourage cancellations. Billy Lovell, 38, and Timothy Lovell, 36, both of Under The Hills, pleaded guilty at uk/local/swansea/">Swansea Crown Court on 18 September to seven offences between them, with sentencing set for 16 November.

What offences did Billy and Timothy Lovell admit to?

Billy Lovell admitted one count of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006, which the council said involved dishonestly making false representations for financial gain by exaggerating the amount of work required and repeatedly taking money for that work. He also admitted three counts of misleading omissions under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, relating to failures to provide customers with information required under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, including their right to cancel.

Timothy Lovell pleaded guilty to one offence of unfair commercial practice and two offences of aggressive commercial practices under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. According to Pembrokeshire County Council, those offences included failing to meet the standards of professional diligence expected of traders and engaging in aggressive practices that distorted consumers’ ability to make informed decisions.

Where and when did the offending take place?

As reported by Swansea Bay News, the council said the offences were committed across west Wales, including in Crymych, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest, and that the victims were vulnerable people left out of pocket and distressed. The Western Telegraph reported that the offences took place across west Wales, including in Crymych, Milford Haven, and Haverfordwest, with the pair using repeated demands for money, misleading claims about the extent of work needed, and tactics to pressure customers into agreements and discourage them from exercising their cancellation rights.

Earlier court hearings heard that alleged victims included a couple from Sardis, a woman from Mathry, and two men from Penygroes and Ty Croes in Carmarthenshire. The Pembrokeshire Herald reported in June 2026 that the pair were accused of offences linked to ground clearance and gardening work in Mathry, Sardis and two addresses in Carmarthenshire.

How did Trading Standards describe the impact on victims?

Cllr Aaron Carey, Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet member for public protection, said the case had vulnerable people at its heart who “suffered both financially and emotionally”. “Victims were subjected to sustained pressure and manipulation, leaving them distressed and facing significant financial losses,” he said, as quoted by both Swansea Bay News and the Western Telegraph.

The council’s Trading Standards team brought the case and said customers were given false claims about how much work needed doing, asked for money again and again, and pressured into agreements they were then discouraged from cancelling. The Western Telegraph reported that “vulnerable” victims were left with financial losses and were caused significant distress by the two men, the court heard.

What was the scale of the alleged fraud before pleas were entered?

When the pair first appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates in June 2026 they faced 26 charges between them, over alleged frauds totalling almost £80,000, the court heard. The Pembrokeshire Herald reported in June 2026 that two men from a Haverfordwest traveller family had been described in court as “rogue traders” following a series of alleged frauds totalling almost £80,000.

According to that report, it was alleged that between 30 January 2022 and 16 January 2025, Billy Lovell dishonestly represented that he would complete clearance and gardening works worth £71,631, but failed to carry out work to that value. The allegations included claims that the defendants failed to provide accurate invoices, receipts, written contractual terms, cancellation rights and refund information.

Some charges also alleged that aggressive commercial practices were used, including harassment, coercion or undue influence. In an earlier hearing reported by the Pembrokeshire Herald in late 2025, prosecutors alleged the Lovells failed to disclose required information about off-premises contracts, leading customers to make payments they would not otherwise have made, and accused them of using aggressive commercial practices impairing customers’ freedom of choice through harassment, coercion and undue influence.

What did the council say about rogue traders and enforcement?

Cllr Aaron Carey said: “Where evidence of this type of offending exists, we will pursue offenders robustly, work closely with our partners and place offenders before the courts wherever possible.” He added: “We are committed to protecting residents from rogue traders and unfair trading practices, particularly those who target vulnerable people.”

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Trading Standards Department, based at County Hall in Haverfordwest, is the lead authority for the investigation and prosecution. The case forms part of wider efforts by local authorities in Wales to tackle rogue trading, with National Trading Standards noting that money was taken from victims of rogue traders who cold called people at their homes, including older people living alone, and pressured them into paying for unnecessary or poor-quality building work.

When will Billy and Timothy Lovell be sentenced?

The two men will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on 16 November 2026. They pleaded guilty on 18 September, and the court adjourned for pre-sentence reports ahead of the November hearing.

Background to the Pembrokeshire garden clearance fraud investigation

The case against Billy and Timothy Lovell emerged from a Trading Standards investigation into garden and ground clearance work carried out across west Wales between 2022 and 2025. Initial magistrates’ court hearings in 2025 and 2026 saw the pair face dozens of charges under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, with allegations centred on false representations about the value of work, failure to provide required contractual information, and the use of aggressive commercial practices.

The investigation focused on complaints from multiple households, including in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, where customers said they were pressured into agreements and then discouraged from cancelling, while being asked for repeated payments. Over time, the number of charges was reduced as the defendants entered guilty pleas to a subset of the original allegations, leading to the seven offences admitted in September 2026.

Prediction: How this development may affect consumers and traders in west Wales

The guilty pleas in the Pembrokeshire garden clearance fraud case are likely to reinforce caution among consumers in west Wales when engaging doorstep or off-premises traders for garden and ground clearance work. Households, particularly older or vulnerable residents, may be more inclined to seek written quotes, insist on clear contractual terms and verify traders’ credentials before allowing work to begin, in light of the council’s description of sustained pressure and manipulation.

For legitimate traders in the region, the case may increase scrutiny from customers and could prompt more businesses to proactively display compliance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, including clear cancellation rights and itemised invoices. Trading Standards teams across Wales may also cite the case in awareness campaigns, potentially leading to a higher volume of complaints and referrals in similar sectors such as gardening, clearance and minor building work.

In the longer term, if sentencing in November 2026 results in significant penalties, it could act as a deterrent to other operators considering aggressive sales tactics or misleading representations in off-premises contracts, while encouraging local authorities to prioritise similar investigations where vulnerable consumers are targeted.