Derbyshire Police are alerting residents in the area to a suspicious incident today where they believe a rogue trader may have tried to trick a woman into paying a high price for roof work.
The incident happened in the Darley Dale area at around 1pm today (Wednesday 29 November).
Three men in a white van went to the door of a house and offered to clean and seal a roof. After a demo of their work, where they cleaned the roof, they offered to complete the work for £1000 and quickly reduced their price to £600.
Despite the homeowner saying no, they then offered to take them to a cash machine to withdraw the cash.
They left and the resident contacted police as they were concerned about the incident.
Fortunately, no money was handed over during the incident.
Officers are carrying out enquiries, but we are encouraging people to be vigilant and be mindful of elderly and vulnerable neighbours who may be seen as targets by possible rogue traders.
Rogue traders are people claiming to be builders or traders wanting to do urgent repairs or work. They talk residents into making quick decisions; paying in advance and will do poor work at highly inflated prices.
How to prevent doorstep crime:
If you are not sure who is at the door, don’t open it.
Check the identity of any caller. Confirm who they are by calling the company they work for using number from a bill, directory or from online. Do not call any numbers they give you.
Ask a friend, relative or neighbour to come around to check them before you open the door.
Tell them to come back at a time when someone will be at home with you.
Before opening one door, make sure all other door and windows are locked and closed.
Use the door chain every time you answer the door.
If the caller is selling something or says that you need work carrying out tell them you are not interested and ask them to leave. Genuine, reputable firms won’t need to drum up business by cold calling.
If you have concerns regarding a potential rogue trader incident in your neighbourhood, be alert and report your concerns to police on the details below:
Website – We have crime reporting tools on our website: use our online contact form
Facebook – send us private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page
Twitter – direct message our contact centre via @DerPolContact
Phone – call us on 101
If a crime is in progress, call 999
You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website
