Dodgy Irish tarmacking gangs spark alerts in Canada, Australia and France over botched jobs

Police in the south of France warned property owners about the “bitumeurs irlandais” in the Gare region earlier this month.

Local gendarmes set up a checkpoint to catch the crew after being contacted by a businessman who had been approached by them offering cut-price tarmac work.

Meanwhile, police in Ontario, Canada began an investigation after a series of complaints from residents in the town of Bancroft over a paving crew operating in the area.

One woman who had lived in the UK became suspicious when the workers insisted they were from Newfoundland, which has a similar accent to Ireland.

Kara McLewee was concerned when the man in charge of the job appeared to be lying about his accent, she told Bancroft Now’s Mary Milne in an interview.

“I said you’re Irish, and he goes ‘no no no, I’m from Newfoundland’ and I was like, in my head, thinking why is he lying?” she said.

“We lived in the UK for seven years. I know what an Irish accent sounds like.”

At least six different Bancroft homeowners signed up to have their driveways paved after a man showed up at their door with a quote for services.

Ms McLewee said the pavers had what looked to be proper equipment including a roller and a large red dump truck.

“I had seen him working on other houses in the neighbourhood.

“From the road it looked like an asphalt driveway and he said ‘you don’t pay until you’re totally happy’. So, we’re like, ‘OK.’

“So he comes, dumps the load and then he comes back and he starts doing the work and we’re like ‘oh, well, clearly he’s legit, he’s here, he’s doing the work.’”

But after paying up and with the crew gone from the area, residents realised something was wrong.

“Since we couldn’t walk on it at first, we didn’t know for a few days that it was sand and gravel.

“It wasn’t firming up and you could just pick it up and it just crumbles in your hand like you’re at the beach,” she revealed.

Ms McLewee said she got in touch with her neighbour who’d also recently had her driveway done by same people.

“I messaged my friend and said, are you happy with your driveway? And she goes ‘no we’re on the phone with the OPP [Ontario Police] right now’.”

Police confirmed an investigation had been started.

“The OPP is launching an investigation into these allegations of fraud,” a statement said.

“Police have gone up, met with some of the victims, and we’ve been identifying additional potential victims in this case.”

As well as losing their money some residents have been seriously affected by the botched work.

One woman who struggles with mobility as a result of muscular dystrophy found it hard to get in and out of her house because of the loose gravel left on her driveway.

Some homeowners used the last of their savings and others borrowed money to have their driveways done, it was reported.

There have also been a series of warnings in New South Wales in Australia where “bitumen bandits” have also been at work calling door-to-door to drum up business.

Police have warned about approaches from workers who “speak with a strong Irish, Scottish or English accent”.

The Sunday World revealed last month how households and sports clubs in Limerick, Donegal and Louth were also hit by similar tarmac scammers.

In some cases attempts were made to intimidate people into handing over thousands of euro for botched work.