A WARNING about cold-call conmen who offer to install driveways at people's homes has been issued by highways officials.

North-East council staff gave the alert following incidents that have left their authority with expensive clean-up bills.

Trading standards officers said they were investigating some traders who have carried out botched work.

In recent weeks, Hartlepool Borough Council has spent more than £10,000 in clean-up bills because of rubble dumped on open land.

Highways officials also said that kerbs, which are part of the public highway, can only be touched with the council's authorisation.

The council's senior technical officer, Brian Dinning, said: "These people clearly do not have permission to do this sort of work.

"Experience suggests that doorstep callers usually charge inflated prices, and if the quality of their work does not come up to scratch, householders often have no comeback."

The Northern Echo joined forces with trading standards and the police to launch a campaign to outlaw cold-calling for property repairs and to raise awareness of bogus officials and pressure sales tactics.

Details of the Doorstoppers campaign, which also received backing from utility companies and elderly people's welfare organisations, have been raised in Parliament.

On Friday, The Northern Echo reported how a travelling odd-job man pestered an 84-year-old widow in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, into paying £700 for roofing work worth a fraction of the price.

Appearing in court, Jacob Connors, from Rochdale, Lancashire, admitted not allowing her a seven-day cooling-off period, which was brought in under new legislation to protect householders. He was fined £1,000 with £250 costs.