CAERPHILLY council are asking residents to be vigilant after an elderly person lost £350 to someone they thought was a council worker.

The team were recently contacted by a health professional, who was concerned that one of their clients had been approached by two individuals who claimed to be from the council’s environmental health department.

The individuals claimed that they had received complaints about rubbish in the garden, the state of the garden fence and rat infestation.

The elderly resident, believing the individuals to be working for the council, negotiated the price down from £1,400 to £700 and paid £350 to them in cash for the works to be carried out. However no work was ever carried out.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s trading standards team are keen to again remind residents that no council employees or contractors working on behalf of the council would ask residents to pay for work on the doorstep. All council employees also carry official council identification.

The team would encourage all residents to be vigilant, and to think of the following before considering having work done:

• Don’t agree to have any work done on the spot. Tell them you want to obtain other quotes

• Then obtain a number of quotes before agreeing to have any work done

• Thoroughly research any business in advance

• Never pay any money upfront

• Help others and pass this information onto vulnerable residents, friends or neighbours.

Residents who have any suspicions or concerns about doorstep callers, should contact Caerphilly’s Trading Standards team on 01443 811300.