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Fleet Town > Fleet News > Hampshire Trading Standards hail one-day crackdown on rogue traders a success

Hampshire Trading Standards hail one-day crackdown on rogue traders a success

15th June 2007

Hampshire Constabulary and Hampshire Trading Standards have today hailed a one-day crackdown on rogue traders a success.

Police and the consumer watchdog officials joined forces to crackdown on rogue traders, as part of the national campaign ‘Operation Rogue Trader'.

The campaign aims to disrupt the activities of rogue traders who knock on residents' doors claiming they need urgent repairs to their properties. The victims are often elderly and can be charged thousands of pounds for sub-standard, unnecessary or unfinished work.

Thirty six police and Trading Standards officials combed the two counties. More than 70 builders, workers and trades people were questioned, their vans and trucks checked by Automatic Number Plate Recognition and intelligence gathered.

Officers spoke to all workers in hot spot areas, including people carrying out driveway, gardening and roofing jobs.

A patrol team looking for distraction burglars in Portsmouth spotted work being done on the outside of the home of a pensioner. Trading Standards officials were of the opinion that he was paying too much for the work his home and he consequently sent the builders away, cancelled the work and was advised to get at least two quotes.

Police seized two flatbed vehicles at Fleet services, M3, and one vehicle in Southampton. Another vehicle was seized in Portsmouth for having no insurance.

Speaking after the operation Phil Thomas from Trading Standards said: “While it is disappointing that the adverse weather conditions meant some rogue traders stayed indoors, today's operation still sent a clear message to these criminals that we are on their case and their activities will not be tolerated in Hampshire. This is not the last they will see of us!"

Evidence suggests that rogue traders are linked to distraction burglary, where offenders con their way in to people's homes to steal from them. The latest statistics show that one in four victims of rogue traders have also been victims of distraction burglary. The operation is part of an overall plan to disrupt the criminal networks of these offenders.

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: “This initiative supports the ongoing projects that Hampshire County Council and its partners carry out to protect residents from unwanted doorstep traders, such as No Cold Calling Zones, our Buy With Confidence scheme and Quick Response Team. Our Trading Standards Officers also hold regular sessions for older residents on how to handle doorstep traders.

“Thousands of pounds of savings are lost each year to these unscrupulous individuals for work that is overpriced, shoddy and often completely unnecessary and I welcome all action taken to combat this. It sends out a clear message that rogue traders will not be tolerated.”

Hampshire Constabulary's Chief Superintendent Mathew Greening, said: "The majority of doorstep criminals specialise in committing crimes against older or more vulnerable people in the isolation of their own homes. This type of crime, committed on people who are sometimes less able to protect themselves, is particularly despicable and we all need to do what we can to stop it.

"Our aim is to raise awareness of doorstep crime in order to reduce people's vulnerability, support victims and catch or at least deter more of the offenders".

Nobody should feel pressure in their own home. Hampshire Constabulary and Trading Standards issued guidelines to combat the rogue traders who offer home or gardening services.

They advise:

• Do not let anyone into your home uninvited.
• Ask friends or neighbours to recommend someone.
• Do not employ workers unless you have a fixed price, detailed written quotation (ideally you will have called a number of companies for more than one quotation).
• Check they belong to a professional trade organisation.
• Ask for references - Any competent tradesperson should be able to produce some satisfied customers.
• Pay in part or in full by credit card - Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, both the supplier of the credit and the supplier of the goods or services are jointly liable to the customer.
• Check they have public liability insurance - Insurance pays if the tradesperson causes you loss due to their negligence.
• Do not accept transport to your bank or building society in order to withdraw money to pay for the work. Should this happen, tell the bank cashier.
• Before you pay the bill get a neighbour, friend or relative to look at the completed work to confirm the work has been carried out with reasonable care and skill.
• If things go wrong contact Hampshire Trading Standards Service or your local Citizens Advice Bureau for advice.
• Finally, don't forget to look out for elderly neighbours and relatives who are often targeted by cold callers.

DCI Dick Pearson said: “We know that high profile, overt activity, such as this day, very quickly gets passed around the criminal community. Be assured that both Hampshire Constabulary and Trading Standards, working with our partners such as Crime Stoppers and the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, will continue in our daily work, both overtly and covertly, to target these offenders”.

"If anyone thinks that they, or someone they know, may have been a victim of a doorstep trader, it is very important that the incident is reported to the police, trading standards or crimestoppers.

“It is not just the victims of doorstep crime we are urging to phone us,” says Simon Theobalds who co-ordinates Crimestoppers in Hampshire & IOW. “Anyone who knows about a doorstep criminal – such as someone who has successfully seen one off - can help with the intelligence jigsaw. If you can't talk to the police, talk to us. We do not ask for your name and therefore can not pass any personal details to the police.

“The community has a lot of information about these criminals which is not getting passed to the police. Some victims are fearful of the judicial system, others feel foolish that they have been conned and in some cases there is a fear that their families will feel they have become too vulnerable to live independently.”

Anyone who suspects that they, or a neighbour, might be a victim of a rogue trader should contact the police, Trading Standards on 08454 040506 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111


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