Aberdeen householders are warned to be on their guard against rogue traders offering to build driveways for them.

The council's roads and trading standards sections have become aware of a number of city residents who have hired individuals or firms to construct driveways and who have been left out of pocket and with a sub-standard or even illegal product.

To add to their woes, these people are often left facing an extra bill to have the work done on their property to put the pavement right.

Permission to build a driveway must be sought from and granted by Aberdeen City Council before work begins and there are strict conditions which must be adhered to. In certain circumstances, planning permission is also required.

All approved driveways which cross a pavement must have a footway crossing constructed by council staff or an approved contractor, to the required standard. If this is not done, or if a driveway is constructed without a footway crossing, the council may uplift and remove the driveway and recover the costs for doing so from the householder.

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If work on the pavements is not carried out by the council or an approved contractor and does not meet the required standard, the council may make arrangements to have the work brought up to standard and charge the householder for that.

Principal trading standards officer Del Henderson said: "This is the time of year when the rogue traders really come out of the woodwork.

"Be very wary about hiring a firm or individuals who approach you offering to build you a driveway. Responsible and legitimate companies know the rules and will follow them and be able to give you advice about the permission you need to seek before they begin work.

"Before hiring anyone to carry out work on your property, get at least three quotes from different companies and get references too. Don't pay any money up front and if you're not happy with the work, don't pay for it until it has been completed to your satisfaction."

Trading Standards receives several complaints each summer about bogus workmen including builders, roofers and gardeners. The complaints often concern workmen not only offering roofing, guttering and cladding work, but also gardening work and driveway repairs.

Such traders can be extremely persuasive and often target the elderly and vulnerable. They often quote low prices, but those prices frequently escalate as the work progresses.

The work will normally be done immediately, before the householder has a chance to change his or her mind. Very often, any information provided by the workmen, such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers are false, making them very hard to trace.

Del added: "In many cases the work is carried out to a very poor standard, leaving the owner facing a second bill to have the work done properly."

She said: "They use a variety of sales pitches to get you to agree to having work done. They may suggest that the property, if not repaired, will be dangerous, and may cause additional problems to the structure of your home, or they put a time restriction on the offer to hurry you in to making a decision."

(GK)