Warning over driveway repairers

Rugby police issue warning over driveway repairers

Police in Rugby are warning householders to be aware of doorstep callers after two householders in Hillmorton Road had workmen call at their homes on Tuesday 2 March claiming to be carrying out road works in the area and offering to repair their drives with the excess road surfacing material.

In both cases the men claimed to be working for Warwickshire County Council Highways Department.

Checks made with Warwickshire County Council confirmed that there were no contractors working for them in the area at the time.

Police remind householders that they should never agree to have work done by strangers who call at their door. Always use contractors who has been recommended to you by someone you know, or find a contractor in the local trades directory or telephone directory.

PC Neill MacKenzie of the Rugby Police Community Safety Unit said, "If someone is offering to do work for you for a very good price it probably is too good to be true - there will probably be a catch involved which may result in you receiving a much higher bill than you were expecting."

"Never allow workmen, even people who you have contacted through legitimate means, to start work on your house or garden without first getting a written estimate of how much the work will cost. The written estimate should also include their name and address and telephone number."

The Community Safety Department in Rugby has recently launched two initiatives aimed at raising awareness to distraction burglaries and bogus callers.

The first is the Nominated Neighbour Scheme where householders have a notice telling strangers that they do not open the door to people they do not recognise. Instead they are advised that they should call on a nearby neighbour, who has agreed to carrybout any security checks on the caller on their behalf.

A brightly coloured display card, which the householder holds up in the window to alert the unknown caller that they will not open the door to them and that they should go to their nominated neighbour, can be collected, free, from police station front counters.

In addition a video, featuring a series of short plays to highlight some of the ruses used by bogus callers, has recently been produced by Rugby Police Community Support Officer Sally Wolenski, working with Age Concern, the Vintage Theatre Company and with staff and pupils from Rugby school.

The video "Knock Knock, Who's There............" features three short plays which highlight some of the ruses that are used by bogus callers to gain entry to people's homes, or to get them to sign up for work they do not want done. The video includes a play about men offering to repair the driveway of an elderly person who then inds herself faced with a demand for thousands of pounds for the work.

Copies of the video "Knock Knock, Who's There........." have been made available to community groups, Age Concern, other support groups and the local library in Rugby for people to view.