When pensioner John Taylor paid £1,000 up front to have his conservatory fixed, Yorkshire was still celebrating the success of the Tour de France and Chris Powell was just a month into his job as Huddersfield Town manager .

More than 13 months later, Mr Taylor is still waiting for the work on his conservatory to start - but now finally has some hope of at least getting his money back, after the Examiner tracked down the man he had paid.

Mr Taylor, 81, of Almondbury, paid the money to Liaqat Hussain, of Smart Choice Home Improvements, in October 2014.

He was pleased with work the company had already carried out on some windows at his property, and the company said it would start work on the conservatory in January. It then apologised, saying it would have to wait until February.

But despite repeated attempts at contacting the company, Mr Taylor heard nothing else.

He said: “They had done some windows at the back of the house, and did a very good job, and the guy noticed the top of the conservatory was cracked.

“He said he could do it for me, and I was quoted about £3,500, and he asked for some of it up front. I got the money from the bank and gave him it the next morning when he came round, and then he disappeared.

“The next thing was the secretary rang me up to say they would be coming in January. They said they were terribly sorry for the delay, and then they rang a month later and apologised again. I told them to either return my money or come and do the job.

“Since then I haven’t heard anything. No-one answers the phone, and I sent a letter by recorded delivery but it was returned by the postman.”

Mr Taylor and his wife Joan were left devastated two years ago, when their son Jonathan, a 44-year-old IT teacher, died.

He was on a school skiing trip in Austria and fell off a high stone wall as he walked back to his accommodation after a night out with staff colleagues. He was an IT teacher at Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy in Arnold, Nottinghamshire.

The couple have two daughters, Fiona, 52, and Jonathan’s twin, Helen,

Smart Choice was based at Miln Road, Huddersfield .

Mr Hussain is now a director of Green Deal Energy, of Savile Road, Dewsbury, which specializes in renewable energy, including solar panels.

He said intends to pay back the money to Mr Taylor in the coming weeks.

“I had to cease trading and I became very ill. But I have promised to return his money, and I will pay him back.

“I stopped trading in January. But I am rebuilding myself. I am not denying the money that I owe him, and I intend to return the whole amount. I don’t want to con anyone out there.

“He is a very nice gentleman. We did his windows for him, and he was very happy.

“I am a local lad and don’t want to mess anyone about, and I intend to pay back what I owe.”