Milton Keynes 'Buy with Confidence' Scheme.

12.00.00am GMT Thu 23rd Nov 2006

A new weapon to protect consumers against rogue traders is being launched in Milton Keynes as part of National Consumer Week.

The theme of this year's event, which starts on November 22nd, is 'Hey Big Spender - take a little advice from us' and the week's themes include advice on hot consumer topics such as home improvements and car servicing.

As part of this, Milton Keynes Council Trading Standards team is launching its new 'Buy with Confidence' scheme. Buy with Confidence is part of a regional initiative where, for a small registration fee, local traders such as builders and car mechanics can join. Membership of the scheme will provide certain automatic safeguards for consumers - for example traders carrying out work in someone's home will need to have been Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checked.

Trading Standards officers will then actively promote these companies, ensuring that consumers can employ local traders to complete work without falling foul of rogue traders, particularly those that turn up on people's doorsteps. Trading Standards has already had interest from over 150 traders in joining the scheme .

Claire Kendall, the project manager of the scheme, said: "We are aware of the problems that some traders who call at the door can cause. In one instance we had an elderly lady who paid £45,000 to have her driveway re-laid, and there are many more people in Milton Keynes who have suffered in this way. This scheme allows us to actively promote local traders and ensure that traders and consumers alike do not suffer at the hands of unscrupulous, often bogus, companies."

Liberal Democrat Councillor Douglas McCall, cabinet member for the environment, said: "We are pleased to be joining in with this regional scheme. It's a way of helping the public to make contact with traders they can trust, and it's also a way of supporting local legitimate businesses and forcing rogue traders out of the market."