Residents have been warned to be wary of callers offering to resurface driveways

Senior trading standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council Angela Kane said: “Just this week, we’ve been contacted by a number of Lincolnshire residents who have been pressurised into paying for shoddy driveways completed by rogue traders pretending to be from the council.

“Common tactics used by these rogue traders have included professional-looking advertising, cold-calling, and high-pressure selling.”

The council’s assistant director of highways and transportation Paul Coathup added: “It’s disgraceful that these fraudsters are masquerading as council officers to trick members of the public. It goes without saying that Lincolnshire County Council’s road maintenance teams would never engage in activity like this and neither would our contractors. Anyone working for the council will have an ID that verifies who they are.”

If you are approached by these traders, report them to the relevant authority. If in Lincolnshire, then contact Lincolnshire Trading Standards on 01522 782341 or by e-mailing tradingstandards@lincolnshire.gov.uk. 

If it is in Peterborough, report it to the Citizens Advice Bureau on 08454 040506 or anywhere else across Cambridgeshire, call 03450 455206 or email cambridgeshire.direct@cambridgeshire.gov.uk