WEST Mercia Police are urging residents to be aware of cold calling.

Such incidents involve cold callers approaching home owners and offering to carry out gardening works or maintenance repairs.

Victims can be charged a significant amount of money, sometimes a lot more than the initially agreed price, for a small amount of work.

Residents are advised not to buy services from unsolicited callers at the door.

If you are looking for someone to carry out work on your property then you can search for a trader using the Worcestershire Trade Register at traderregister.org.uk or by calling 01905 822799.

Since July 2013, when agreeing a contract in their home, consumers are entitled to a 14-day cooling-off period. A trader must provide specific information about your rights to cancel in writing and also ensure that you have the correct name and address for the trader.

For information about your rights or to report a rogue trader please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service (CACS) on 03454 04 05 06.

CACS provides first-line advice on trading standards issues.