Owner of Asbestos removal company sentenced
A fraudulent trader who falsified asbestos test reports to mislead three customers into paying a combined £14,235 has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Andrew Curtis York was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on Friday 10 April 2026, having pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud.
The Court heard that between December 2023 and February 2024, York, trading as ACFL Asbestos Ltd, misled three customers into parting with large amounts of money for the removal of asbestos from parts of their homes.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Trading Standard's team found that York altered sample test reports from a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) certified laboratory to indicate to his customers that there was asbestos present when the reports had stated there was none.
The residents of Stockton and Eaglescliffe suffered losses as York quoted for the removal of asbestos which was not there and made a gain by charging for work that was not necessary.
York quoted one of the customers an additional £9,500 for further asbestos removal work that was not required, as no asbestos had been detected.
The customers of York also incurred additional expenses for boarding and plastering that they would not have had to pay out if the correct test report had been supplied to them.
York was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, having pleaded guilty to four offences of fraud in breach of Section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006.
York was also ordered to repay the customers a total of £14,235, which has been done.
He was also ordered to pay £1250 in costs.
Councillor Norma Stephenson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety, said: "The dishonest actions of York in these cases were beyond belief.
"When the samples he sent off to UKAS were returned showing that there was no trace of asbestos in the homes of his customers, he altered the results to line his own pockets by using his business to carry out work that was completely unnecessary.
"York fraudulently took money from those customers, but was stopped in his tracks from defrauding others, thanks to the hard work of our Trading Standards Team.
"Their detailed investigation helped to identify potential victims of this fraudulent trading and ensured that York has now been brought to account.
"I hope this case also issues a warning to others thinking about trading unfairly that our Trading Standards Team will leave no stone unturned.
"I always urge residents looking to get home improvement work done to obtain at least three quotes, seek recommendations from friends and family, and do not hand over large sums of money upfront."
