Residents are being alerted by Merton’s Trading Standards service to the possibility of being ripped off by cowboy builders, roofers and gardening services.

At this time of year, rogue traders will play on residents’ fears about the weather as the season changes, and will often cold-call householders to offer cheap or fast property repairs, or maintenance, because of supposed problems they have seen such as missing roof tiles or blocked gutters.

They may claim to be working in the area, have leftover materials and use the excuse of worsening weather in order to play on fears about possible damage that may be caused if the work is not carried about.

Previous complaints to Trading Standards about such traders include homeowners being coerced into having work done that is not required, shoddy workmanship, a fraction of what was ‘quoted’ being done or being substantially overcharged.

Residents are advised to be very wary of any trades people approaching them in this way. Consumers should not pay any money upfront as reputable traders do not normally need money before work is started.

You should always have a written contract signed before the work is started with a breakdown of what will be done as well as the payments to be made, the final payment being made after the work has been completed to your satisfaction.

It is also worth asking friends and relatives for recommendations and to check for reputable tradespeople with consumer protection organisations such as TrustMark. To obtain a list of approved traders in your area visit http://www.trustmark.org.uk or call 0333 555 1234

Anyone wishing to report a suspicious trader in the borough can call the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0808 223 1133 who can offer consumer advice on your statutory rights and will pass details to trading standards for investigation where appropriate.

If a trader ever becomes aggressive or refuses to leave then call 999 for the Police.