Crackdown on rogue traders who prey on elderly

The Local Government Association said hundreds of thousands of pounds are being retrieved and given back to older and disabled people who were conned into parting with their cash to buy over-priced

equipment such as mobility scooters, stair lifts and walk-in baths.

The association said councils' trading standards officers are fighting back against the rogues, who may pose as social care professionals to dupe people out of their life-savings.

Hampshire County Council trading standards officers had already recovered 277,000 obtained from vulnerable residents.

The council set up a mediation service to help people who get into serious difficulties when buying goods or services, or who become a victim of a scam.

Residents recently helped include a man in his late 80s who was bullied into buying a 5,000 motor scooter when he already had one.

In another case an 80-year-old lady was cold-called by a home improvement company and pressurised into signing two contracts totalling more than 13,000.

Both got all their money back with help from the mediation service.

Trading standards officers in Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, have also directly intervened and helped residents and organisations save more than 125,000 in the last year, the LGA said.

One retired couple, who had already paid 1,066 as a deposit for a new shower unit, were then told they would have to pay additional charges of 740 when they tried to cancel their order.

But they managed to get all 1,066 back after help from trading standards, the council said.

And in Leicestershire, a 75-year-old couple had a lucky escape after a cold caller tried to make them buy an adjustable bed for 3,500.

Coun Paul Bettison, chairman of Local Government Regulation (formerly LACORS), said: "People who target vulnerable members of society have no morals and will not think twice about piling on the pressure to ensure they get as much money as possible.

"The equipment sold is rarely suitable, it's severely overpriced and will no doubt come with a cancellation policy that is extremely hard to get out of.

"These heartless criminals are leaving people extremely worried and in a great deal of debt. They need to realise that they will be caught, dealt with by the courts, and punished severely."

Trading standards departments are urging anyone who has fallen victim to such a crime or feels they are being targeted to contact their local council or Consumer Direct urgently.

Leicestershire Council Council yesterday backed the call to stop firms preying on old and vulnerable people.

The council said it had issued a warning after a cold-caller who convinced a 75-year-old couple he was from a local authority tried to sell them a 3,500 bed.

The couple were cold-called by a company, which arranged a home visit and then tried to pressurise them into buying the bed.

Their son, who did not want to be named, said: "He asked about my father's health and mobility problems and then asked to see the bedroom, where he started to try to sell them an adjustable bed, costing 3,500.

"When resistance was shown, he phoned a friend and pretended to negotiate a discounted price.

"When my father said they weren't in a position to order that day, the salesman lost interest and left, leaving my parents feeling flustered and annoyed that they had been targeted by a company which was using their mobility problems as a sales tool."