Cowboy conmen are targeting people in wake of Storm Doris to pay for repairs they don’t need
CONMEN are targeting people as they try and cash in over Storm Doris damage by offering repair work for large amounts of money, officials warn.
Trading Standards in Nottinghamshire have urged people to be vigilant if they are approached by people offering their services.
Following on from the storm which ripped through the country yesterday causing destruction and even deaths, this warning coincides with a cold caller targeting the elderly over tree surgery services.
Nottinghamshire County Council have warned people to avoid poor workmanship and scams.
Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Safety Committee, said: “Unscrupulous rogue traders take advantage of big weather events to secure work with people whose property has been adversely affected and it can seem like they are a knight in shining armour offering to rectify damage.
“However, they are likely either to carry out a poor job, charge inflated prices or pressure you into having unnecessary work carried out.
“You’re far safer to get a recommendation from a friend or relative or look for a trusted trader on Checkatrade’s website who we have partnered with.”
The storm battered the UK on February 23 and killed a woman in Wolverhampton, now named as Tahnie Martin.
The 29-year-old died after being struck on the head by a large wooden board which appeared to fall from a nearby rooftop.
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Britain was battered by gales of up to 90mph – uprooting trees, damaging buildings and pulling down power supplies.
Dozens were injured in separate incidents as gusts of up to 95mph battered large swathes of the country.
A pupil was taken to hospital with “life-threatening injuries” after a ceiling collapsed on a class of children in a sports hall in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
In Walton Highway, Norwich, a double decker bus was blown over leaving five injured on the A47.
Incredible dashcam footage captured the moment a driving instructor had a near miss with a tree in Spalding, Lincs., during the storm.
Storm Doris may have just trailed off but Brits could now expect floods when heavy rain moves in after temperatures plunge to -4C forming deadly black ice.
Forecasters are warning a new weather system will bring persistent showers in the wake of the deadly storm, which claimed the life of a 29-year-old woman and left several others injured.
The River Ouse in York is expected to burst its banks overnight after rising slowly throughout the day while alerts are in place for other parts of Yorkshire as well as much of Wales, Gloucestershire, Somerset and the Lake District.
Severe weather warnings are also in place for ice as temperatures are set to plunge well below freezing, potentially causing chaos for commuters during the morning rush.
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