THIS month I’d like to tell you about a recent Police and Trading Standards initiative that you might not be aware of.

On June 30, it was ‘Rogue Trader Day,’ which was a joint operation planned to highlight and tackle the criminals that use their businesses to defraud and con members of the public out of thousands of pounds.

They patrolled the whole county, including Wyre Forest.

Rogue traders are organised criminals who target the potentially vulnerable members of our community.

The most common methods adopted by rogue traders relate to anything that is connected to home maintenance, from gardening to roofing or aerial installation for the digital switchover.

The old tricks include “we are in the area and saw that you had a few ridge tiles loose on your roof, we can fix it for a few pounds”. Then once the work starts, more “problems” are found and before the person knows it, the job costs thousands of pounds and they are being taken to the bank to withdraw funds. Wyre Forest residents should be on their guard if they receive unwanted callers. If a contract is agreed in a consumer’s home, a cancellation notice should be provided by the trader, and the notice should specify that there is a seven-day cooling off period and state how the contract should be cancelled.

If this information is not provided, the trader has committed an offence and the contract cannot be enforced against the householder (the householder does not have to pay).

Householders should also be aware that it is unlikely that they would be able to get works put right by itinerant callers if there were problems later on. Always get at least three quotes and ensure that you are dealing with a local, reputable trader.

We can all help stop this sort of crime in our community. Neighbours of vulnerable people should report any suspicious activity to Trading Standards and the police.

You may be preventing someone from losing their life savings and having their life shattered as a consequence.

Please report incidents to the police on 0300 333 3000. If you have been approached by unwanted doorstep callers, or are concerned about your rights, please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. To find local reputable traders, please contact Worcestershire Hub on 01562 732928 or search the Worcestershire Trader Register at www.traderregister.org.uk HELEN DYKE Chairman