SOMERSET homeowners are being warned to avoid cowboy tradesmen.

Trading standards watchdog Consumer Direct has received 500 complaints from Somerset in the past year about dodgy home improvements and maintenance.

Of those, 200 were referred to trading standards for further action.

Officers fear unscrupulous cold calling rogue traders will be active following recent storms, which may have damaged homes and gardens.

Often the work is poor and unnecessary - but always expensive.

Sometimes, money is taken in advance only for the itinerant tradesman to disappear, while in other cases, the quoted price soars and customers may be frogmarched' to the bank for cash.

If work is defective, it may be impossible to contact the trader and statistics show that homes visited by itinerant traders suffer an increase in distraction burglaries or robberies soon after.

Cllr Jim Mochancz, Somerset County Council's Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said: "The vast majority of tradesmen are worthy of the name, but it is important that people take precautions to avoid the minority who give others a bad name.

"The Trading Standards team is committed to protecting the public and taking action against those who flout legislation put in place to safeguard all of us."

To get a job done for a reasonable price Somerset's Trading Standards suggests: *don't have work done by someone who calls uninvited.

*don't be pressurised into having work done.

*choose a tradesman with an established reputation, preferably local, who can show you previous work.

*find out if he's in a trade association.

*get three written quotations - remember cheapest is not always best.