House of horrors

Although the antics of some of these exposed traders defy belief, there are many that still charge extortionate rates for their work and claim to have replaced parts even though the originals are still in place.

In a bid to clamp down on unscrupulous tradesmen operating in our homes, trading standards officers in Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset set up their very own "house of horrors" in a bid to prevent residents from being ripped off.

A special undercover property was set up in Poole with basic faults in the plumbing.

A belt had come off in the washing machine, the outside drain was blocked, there was no hot water due to a switch being left off and the overflow in the toilet need adjustment.

Other simple repairs included problems with the tank in the loft and a leak under the sink.

Trading standards officers set up appointments with tradesmen who were shown the problem and left to fix it.

Unbeknown to them, their every move was being filmed by CCTV cameras while a trading standards officer watched from another room.

The results make shocking reading for Trading Standards and consumer protection officers.

Out of the 30 tradesmen tested, only nine came out with a "satisfactory" pass next to their name.

The remaining 21 will be followed up with an interview and given advice or will be investigated to see if they have committed an offence.

David Morton, senior trading standards officer at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: "A few of those companies that gave us cause for concern are likely to be investigated with a view to a possible prosecution."

Last year Trading Standards in Bournemouth received more than 300 complaints about tradesmen.

So they picked some companies for the undercover investigation from their complaints database and the rest from the Yellow Pages.

The Daily Echo was invited to view one visit at the house of horrors. As we sat in the control room we looked on as one tradesman tested out the displaced belt in the washing machine. He charged an average bill but replaced the belt even though it was new.

Mr Morton said: "It's of value to the community to know they are being checked on and will help serve as a warning to others.

"I was surprised that the results of the washing machine repairers was so bad. We saw seven and six didn't carry out the work satisfactory and in some cases charged for parts which they didn't need."

Other examples included one trader charging £140 to fix a problem when a respectable trader would have expected £40 and some charged for the fitting of parts when they hadn't carried out the work.

Those traders who carried out their work satisfactorily will receive a letter to say so.

Among these, one solved the hot water problem for free and one washing machine repairman charged £25 to fix the problem, whereas another charged £83.

The house of horrors team hired two experts including Colin Topp.

A plumber by trade, Mr Topp is a consultant and has appeared BBC's Rogue Traders.

He said: "Unfortunately the results are not a surprise because I have done quite a number of these houses for different trading standards."

Bournemouth mayor Cllr Emily Morrell-Cross visited the house of horrors as well as Bournemouth councillor John Hayter.

Cllr Hayter, cabinet member for the environment, said: "I am very pleased that Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Trading Standards have worked effectively together on this project. It shows how seriously the councils regard the protection of the public from rouge traders."

Ivan Hancock, divisional trading standards manager for Dorset County Council, said: "This is a clear example of three authorities working together to flush out the problem and take the necessary action to prevent problems like this arising significantly in the future."

And Jeff Morely, team manger for environmental and consumer protection services at the Borough of Poole, said: "I hope that it sends out a clear message that we are out and about and will be repeating this exercise."

Advice from Trading Standards

Ideally use a trader that has come recommended to you by friends or family.

Ask questions when you book a trader - how much it is going to cost and when they are going to come?

Ensure you receive paperwork stating what's been done.

Use traders who are members of a trade organisation - although this is not a foolproof guarantee.

If you can, watch what they are doing.

Shop around for quotes.

If you suspect you have found a rouge trader, call your local trading standards department: Bournemouth - 01202 451551, Poole - 01202 261700 and Dorset 01305 224701

First published: October 14