Elderly Derbyshire residents urged to be vigilant

Elderly Derbyshire residents are being urged to be vigilant after reports of rogue trader incidents.
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The warning comes after police were told two men had called at the home of a 78-year-old woman in Heanor on Monday afternoon and demanded an overinflated price to carry out repairs on her property.

The men told the woman that they had carried out work on her roof and that she owed them a large sum of money.

The men then drove the victim to a bank on Market Place to withdraw the cash from her account.

The bank became suspicious after the woman explained what the cash was for and raised the issue with a neighbour before contacting police.

The first man was described as being of a large build with a round face and aged between 30 and 40. The second man was of a thin build and thought to have been aged between 25 and 30. Both men spoke with Irish accents.

Earlier that day, police received reports of three men visiting the home of an 80-year-old woman in John Street, Heanor.

The men, who all spoke with Irish accents, offered to clean out the guttering around the home for a set price and the homeowner agreed. The man then said that they had identified problems on the roof and the price they demanded significantly increased. The woman refused and the men then left.

A Derbyshire police spokesman said: "Officers will be carrying out increased high-visibility patrols in the area to offer reassurance and crime prevention advice to residents.

"We're also urging residents to always get more than one opinion and three quotations from reputable traders before making a decision on work being carried out on the home.

"Derbyshire trading standards can help residents find honest and reliable traders through the Trusted Trader scheme.

"All the businesses who sign up to Derbyshire Trusted Trader have been checked by the trading standards team. To find a Trusted Trader in your area call 01629 533190 or visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/trustedtrader."