POLICE have issued a warning after a woman was defrauded of £40 in Dorchester for just 15 minutes of gardening work.
An elderly woman in the St Georges Road area answered the door to a man who said he was in the area cutting grass and offered gardening services for £60.
The woman offered to pay £60, which the man accepted.
The man then began to weed the pebbles in her garden, before two other males turned up and took the £40 from the woman – who then left without completing the work.
The pair reportedly only spent a total of 15 minutes at the property.
Police, who are investigating the incident, are advising the public not to accept work from doorstep traders.
READ MORE: Woman arrested after emergency worker assaulted in Dorchester
“If you think a job needs doing, you should obtain multiple quotes from reputable traders and take time to think it over,” a force spokesperson said.
“A list of trading standards approved traders can be found on the Buy with Confidence website: https://orlo.uk/go62H
“If you would like an “Uninvited Traders” poster, you can request for one to be sent out or print one off from the Dorset County Website https://orlo.uk/4ylvW“
The sticker is designed to empower residents, giving them the confidence to deal with cold calling traders.
“All traders should respect your wishes but if they don’t, they may be liable to prosecution for ignoring your request to leave and not return,” the spokesperson added.
“If you feel you are being pressured into having work done or buy goods you don’t want, ask the trader to leave. It’s an offence for the trader to stay at your home once you have asked them to leave.
“If you feel threatened by the trader, then call 999.
“If anyone has concerns about vulnerable neighbours or relatives who are potentially being targeted by rogue traders in this manner to please contact us online at the Dorset Police website or by phoning 101.”
Leave a Reply