TRADING standards officials have teamed up with a TV production company to help crack down on doorstep crime offenders.

North Yorkshire County Council is working with True North Productions and ITV Yorkshire to produce a programme about the authority's rapid response team.

The team has been set up to protect the victims of bogus callers and cowboy builders, and to prosecute those responsible for offences.

In the past year the team has successfully prosecuted 23 offenders for offences committed in relation to doorstep crime incidents, a 400 per cent increase on the number of prosecutions made in the previous year.

They are investigating bogus house repairers who call on householders, often elderly or vulnerable people, and offer to do work such as roofing and other building repairs, block paving, tarmac work and gardening.

Traders who repeatedly revisit victims to carry out a series of different repairs are of particular interest.

Officials want to hear from people in the Northallerton, Stokesley and Harrogate areas who have been a victim or who knows a victim to take part in the TV programme.

They asked to contact Ruth Taylor on (01609) 768636 or Karen Ward on (01609) 768639 with details of any incidents.