A COUNCIL care worker has been suspended amid allegations she supplied her rogue builder boyfriend the addresses of vulnerable people to target.

Police believe a "heartless" trader has taken thousands of pounds from elderly people in Tonge Fold after being helped by his partner, a Bolton Council employee.

Elsie Derbyshire, aged 77, has been left without a driveway for four weeks and must now walk across a hazardous building site every time she leaves her Skipton Street home.

She was quoted £1,650 by the builder to re-lay her front drive and paid £800 — but he demanded even more money despite removing the stone flags and not finishing the job.

Mrs Derbyshire reported the complaint to police who tried to get in touch with him, but the builder became "obstructive and evasive" with them. The builder, who is from the Haulgh area, has not gone back to finish the job.

The police investigation revealed that the builder's partner may have supplied him with the addresses of potential victims.

Police discovered that the trader has done jobs on four other houses, also occupied by elderly people, on the street, and one in nearby Ilkley Close, collecting more than £3,000 altogether.

The care worker allegedly accompanied her boyfriend on some visits to collect money.

A council spokesman confirmed that the care worker was suspended as soon as they were made aware of the situation and that the authority will now carry out its own investigation.

Mrs Derbyshire said: "My drive is a total mess and he has even left me without a step.

"I gave him £800 on the Thursday and Friday, and the next day he was back asking for another £400. I said to him, 'no more until you've finished the job'.

"The care worker gives you confidence as she said to me 'I help older people. I do a lot of work and never charge people'.

"I let my guard down. I did not check him out as neighbours had used him. And she made me trust both of them. She has used her position to gain my trust."

Police say the workman at the centre of the inquiry is now being investigated by Bolton Council's Trading Standards after they passed the details to them, closing the inquiry as a civil matter.

He is being investigated for failure to provide cancellation notices, failure to provide full name and address and aggressive practices, according to police.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: “As soon as we were made aware of this by the police we suspended a member of staff as a neutral act and can confirm that will be carrying out our own investigation.”

The Bolton News understands the suspended member of staff had not delivered care at the homes where the builder has carried out work.

Mrs Derbyshire, who has one daughter who lives in Sheffield, cannot afford more work on the driveway.

She added: "It is atrocious what they have done. We don't need people like that in Tonge Fold. People must always check builders out."

PCSO Paul Lally, who led the two-week investigation, said: "This is the lowest of the low really.

"Perhaps some kind workman out there may volunteer his services to rectify the lady's driveway, after the first workman took away her means to pay. It transpired that the workman used aggressive tactics to get the work and he appeared to have selected his targets preying on them being elderly persons.

"In this instance this heartless workman has left an elderly lady without a driveway, and leaving her home looking something like a building site.

"Please be aware when hiring any workers, research the company and check for reviews as not all companies out there are legitimate businesses. You can also report any examples of rogue traders to trading standards."