Devon and Cornwall Police would like to make South Mid Cornwall Residents aware that they have received reports of cold callers carrying out garden work and final bills being far higher than the original quote given, these reports have come mainly from the areas of Falmouth and Camborne to date.

They strongly advise that you do not accept offers of work from cold callers and ask friends or relatives to recommend reputable local traders.

They go on to say, “The risks of employing tradesmen who cold call at your door are high – shoddy workmanship, very high prices which change as the job progresses, unnecessary work, and intimidation are only some of them. The rogue traders typically target people who are less able to check the quality of the work or people they think could be intimidated into parting with large sums of money and who they believe won’t complain. They can be quite charming in their attempts to get you to agree to the work, but they may be threatening when the time comes to pay. It is much safer to use local tradesmen of known good reputation who should offer a written quote and a guarantee. We advise you to say ‘No thank you’ and close the door on cold callers.”

If you believe rogue traders are in the South Mid Cornwall area, please don’t confront them and contact the Devon and Cornwall Police on 08452 777 444, if possible please take descriptions and vehicle registration numbers. Please pass this information on to your neighbours, especially if elderly or vulnerable.

Lastly, Roseland Online has a huge list of reputable service people on and around the South Mid Cornwall area in our Services Pages. Before having any work carried out, Roseland Online suggests you contact one of them first for a quote before having any work done and never be coerced into making a commitment on the spot from a cold caller.