Operation rogue trader – suspect it¸ report it!

Time is called on rogue traders in Shropshire as officers from Shropshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service, West Mercia Police, North Shropshire District Council’s Benefit Fraud Team and Consumer Direct lead on a day of enforcement action to stop rogue traders targeting the vulnerable and elderly.

The agencies involved will be utilising their powers to protect the public from unscrupulous and bogus trades people by carrying out spot checks on potential rogue traders.

Officers will be handing out awareness packs to vulnerable households and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) checks will be carried out across Shropshire, forming part of a wider regional and national day of action named 'Operation Liberal'. This joined up approach to tackling rogue traders and educating consumers will hopefully reduce the public becoming targets of bogus callers and trades people that often intimidate, scare and con their victims.

David Edwards, Shropshire County Council’s head of Trading Standards, said: “This type of operation is crucial in the fight against rogue trader crime to stop bogus callers and protect local communities.

“Consumers and legitimate traders can also do a great deal to assist us in this fight and we strongly encourage them to get involved. If they suspect rogue traders are at work they should report it to Consumer Direct. This day of action is the start of Rogue Trader Awareness Month which is continuing throughout June. However, it is our intention that this type of multi-agency working will not end there. It will continue to play a significant part in the battle against this type of despicable criminal activity.”

The Trading Standards Service reports that home improvements are one of the top sources of complaints in the county with nearly 150 complaints received in the first three months of 2008. This trend is mirrored across the West Midlands region with Consumer Direct receiving more than 1,400 complaints about builders, plumbers, electricians, decorators and other home improvements traders for work totalling almost £5 million. The number of complaints across the region is up by nearly 11% on the same period last year.

Frances Darling, Shropshire County Council’s enforcement team manager for Trading Standards, added: “Some of the worst examples of bogus traders operating in Shropshire have been where vulnerable people have been ripped off in respect of poor gardening services, shoddy driveways and paving, false claims on the need for damp proofing and substandard work to the exterior of properties. The money involved has been significant and the worst case that the Trading Standards Service is aware of amounted to a loss of around £13,000 for what was extremely poor work to an elderly gentleman’s property.”

Anyone wanting to report a suspected rogue trader is advised to contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 who work in partnership with Shropshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service. Advice and information on how to find a reputable tradesperson in Shropshire is available from the county’s Traders’ Register, which can be accessed online at www.traderregister.org.uk or by contacting Shropshire County Council’s Customer Service Centre on 0845 678 9023.

Further information

Central England Trading Standards Authorities (CEnTSA) is a regional Trading Standards group incorporating Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford & Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire. Consumer Direct West Midlands works in partnership with these 14 Local Authority Trading Standards teams across the West Midlands offering clear, practical consumer advice via the telephone helpline service and online resources.

'Operation Liberal' is a Police Consortium, made up of 43 Police forces nationally. Across the East and West Midlands it includes the following constabularies: West Midlands, West Mercia, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire. Distraction burglars or bogus callers generally prey on the elderly - the typical victim is aged 81, female and lives alone - and often these victims are left seriously traumatized by the experience.

In a bid to tackle the problem, an initiative “Operation Liberal” was set up in 1998 by Derbyshire Police.

Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer advice service, managed by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered working in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards. It provides clear, practical, impartial advice to help resolve problems and disagreements with suppliers of goods or services. The information and advice helpline is available on 08454 04 05 06 from 8am until 6.30pm from Monday to Friday, and 9am until 1pm on Saturday, excluding bank holidays and public holidays. Minicom users only should call 08451 28 13 84.

Traders’ Register is administered and promoted by a steering group made up of the Trading Standards Services from Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin together with Anchor Trust Staying Put, West Mercia Police, Shropshire Customer First Points, Telford and Wrekin Home Improvement Agency, Age Concern Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Environmental Enforcement Team. Over 200 home improvement businesses are on the register and traders wishing to join the scheme can do so by visiting www.traderregister.org.uk or by calling 08453 303313.

21 May 2008