WATCH OUT FOR SCAM CALLERS

There have been a number of complaints to Councillors and the police regarding door to door salesmen offering loft insulation who have managed to get into the houses of elderly residents and begin work without the necessary paperwork. In some cases this has hidden cost implications for what is being advertised as a free service.

One resident said, "I would like people to keep an eye on elderly neighbours this Christmas. I've just had to intervene when three men turned up at my neighbours house to install loft insulation. My neighbour has dementia and normally her daughter would be there. It turns out they didn't have permission from the landlord to be there and had already stripped the loft of insulation. I'm worried that although these men were happy to leave when they were told they weren't welcome they still hadn't got all the relevant paperwork or permissions. They would've known she was vulnerable when they visited and my neighbour is quite distressed now."

Cllr Ken Moss said, "There are reputable companies out there offering this service of course but there are also those which have been set up simply to gain entry to houses. As with all salespeople, be very very sure who is coming into your home before you agree to anything."