Crackdown on rogue traders in Staffordshire

May 23 2009 by Justine Halifax, Birmingham Mail

POLICE are stepping up the fight to call time on “despicable” rogue traders people who cheat the vulnerable and elderly out of hundreds of pounds.

Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Trading Standards have joined forces with the Department of Work and Pension, HM Revenue and Customs and Vehicle Operators Services Agency to crack down on rogue traders, bogus workmen and distraction burglars.

A day of action this week saw officers deployed on high profile patrols to carry out spot checks on traders working on properties across Staffordshire to highlight their determination to curb the “unscrupulous” menace.

Automated number plate recognition technology was also used and intelligence-led patrols concentrated on hot-spot areas with a concentration of elderly and vulnerable residents.

Chief Insp Peter Owen warned the crackdown would continue.

He said: “People who target the elderly and vulnerable people in our communities are despicable.

“This day of action is just a small part of our continued commitment to reduce this type of crime.”