A BUILDER has hit out against the legal system after losing more than £13,000 in unpaid jobs.

Fraser Lane said he was fed up with customers always being portrayed as the "victims" - and traders as the "rogues".

The 38-year-old, who runs his own business - Lane Construction - told The Press of his frustration that customers who failed to pay up were getting away with it because of lengthy court procedures.

He said: "It's happening to a lot of builders, not just to me. At the moment I've got two invoices that haven't been paid and the total is £13,200.

"One of them was for an extension I built back in 2003, which wasn't paid for in full."

After a court case, the customer was ordered to pay up more than £4,000 - but two years passed and no cash was forthcoming.

A second judgement ordered the customer to pay back the cash in monthly £80 instalments.

Mr Lane, of Easingwold, said: "It's sickening. It doesn't even cover the interest and it's going to take six years before I get all the money back.

"It makes me so angry and I feel totally and utterly let down by the legal system.

"Financially it hasn't done me any good, but it's also the time that I've wasted. All those hours I've spent on the case when I could have been working.

"I want the court system to change. It's such a drawn out process that takes years and to be honest, it's an absolute waste of time.

"I have spoken to so many other builders who have been in the same situation. They have got the judgement, but they still haven't been given the money and eventually they have just given up."

Len Cruddas, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "You hear a lot of stories about rogue traders, but you never hear anything about traders being the victim.

"I think it's a question of people getting things done that they can't necessarily afford, and it's unfair on the traders.

"But I'm not sure it's something that you can do a great deal about, other than making sure you have got proper terms of conditions and engagement."