Warning over rogue traders offering driveway work

Police in Exeter and East Devon are warning residents about rogue traders, claiming to be from Devon County Council, who are offering to tarmac driveways.

A number of residents, some elderly, have been approached this week by a number of men with Birmingham accents.

They were dressed as builders in high visibility clothing and told residents that they had excess tarmac which they could use to tarmac driveways at a reduced rate.

Residents who have agreed to this have had very poor sub-standard or incomplete work carried out, and large amounts of money have been requested from them in cash.

On Wednesday 27 April, an 82-year-old woman in Woodbury Salterton was conned out of a large amount of cash after agreeing the men could tarmac her driveway.

They took the elderly woman to the building society to withdraw £2,000 cash and have not returned to do the work.

A second woman was approached by a man on Thursday 28 April at a property in Woodbury. After agreeing to have her driveway resurfaced, the woman left the property and returned later to find a bill for £4,000 and only half of the work had been completed.

Detective Constable Carly Davies, Exmouth CID, said: “We are working with Trading Standards to look at identifying and catching the men responsible for conning vulnerable residents out of large sums of money.”

“We urge residents to only use the services of reputable and recommended trades’ people and not to employ anyone who calls at their door.”

Anyone who sees anyone acting suspiciously or feels intimidated or coerced by door-to-door salespeople is asked to call 999 immediately.

Anyone with any information about these incidents is asked to email 101@dc.police.uk or call 101, quoting reference 135 of 28 April. 

Information can also be passed anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111 or reporting online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org