City of York Council's trading standards officers are advising residents to be on their guard against rogue tarmacking gangs operating in the area.

The warning follows a number of complaints about itinerant traders who charge extortionate prices for resurfacing work. The gangs are using a well rehearsed sales pitch to persuade unwary residents to part with large sums of cash for poor quality work.

A typical ploy is to target households in a vicinity where road maintenance is being undertaken by bona fide contractors. Residents are usually told there is material left over which could be offered at a discount price, but only if the work is carried out immediately.

One of the gang generally quotes a price per square foot/yard but is very reluctant to give a total price. The householder is subsequently presented with 'an invoice' for several thousands of pounds for a botched job which they often feel intimidated enough to pay.

Elizabeth Levett, City of York Council's trading standards manager, said, "It appears that the gang working in the area in the last few days has, until the end of May, been using an accommodation address in Newcastle. This address is no longer effective.

"We would always caution that people do not have jobs done by uninvited callers. It is advisable to shop around for quotes before committing yourself to spending money on home improvements."

The law says that services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill and that uninvited traders must offer a 'cooling off' period.

Ms Levett said, "However, although we will continue to liaise with the Police and our colleagues in the North East to try to put an end to these activities, it is regrettably the case that these rights are unenforceable if people are unable to trace the workmen after the job is done".

ENDS