Police and Trading Standards officers have arrested three men after carrying out raids as part of a national crackdown on rogue traders.

The day of action (Wednesday, April 9) involved teams of police officers working alongside officers from Cambridgeshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service.

Rogue trading is when traders cold-call houses offering a service like paving, gardening or tarmacking, they often target the elderly and vulnerable and deliberately overcharge for unnecessary or unsatisfactory services or goods. Work is often left unfinished and often intimidation is used to get payment.

The national operation aims to tackle mis-selling, deceit and failure to give cancellation rights to customers.

Detective Sergeant Jodi Bailey said: “This type of crime is particularly appalling because its victims are often those who are most vulnerable and are defrauded of large sums of money.

“Our advice to residents will always be not to use cold callers and to ask for a business card so you can consider what is being offered, at your leisure.

“Only 10 per cent of all rogue trading incidents are reported to police – without the public’s help it is harder for us to bring offenders to justice.”

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Skills, Councillor Mathew Shuter, said: “This is another excellent example of effective partnership working between us and the police. Rogue traders will not be tolerated in our county and the operation this week is part of our on-going work to protect the elderly and vulnerable community.”

Members of the public who have any information about rogue traders operating in their communities, or who believe they may have been a victim of rogue trading, should contact police on 101, or dial 999 if you feel you are in immediate danger or if a crime is in action. Alternatively call your local Trading Standards department via your local council.