Sharon Slams Summer Rogue Traders

1.49.52pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 31st Aug 2007

Sharon Bowles, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South East, has today thrown her support behind the Federation of Master Builders' 'Beware Summer Doorknockers' campaign, which is intended to raise awareness amongst home owners of rogue builders and other tradesmen operating within their communities.

Speaking following the recent launch of the campaign, Sharon Bowles MEP said, "These rogue callers prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community, often lying or cheating in order to extort money for little or no work on people's homes. This sort of unscrupulous behaviour is totally unacceptable and must be tackled".

The 'Beware Summer Doorknockers' campaign has been launched in conjunction with Trading Standards, who estimate that last year alone over £1.36bn was stolen by rogue traders from unsuspecting home owners across Britain.

Sharon Bowles MEP added, "It's up to all of us to take extra care when choosing a trader to undertake any work in our homes. If anyone has any questions or suspicions, they should contact the Federation of Master Builders for information on how to spot a rogue trader and how to get rid of these people if they knock on your door."

Ends.

Notes:

Details of the Federation of Master Builders' campaign can be found at: http://www.fmb.org.uk/press/fmbnews/010807.asp#politicians