A CITY council is promising to get tough on rogue traders calling at people's houses.

People who carry out bogus property repairs, or pushy salesmen who call uninvited, could now be prosecuted for failing to show correct details about their business or a consumer's cancellation rights.

Until now, the issues of business names and cancellation of contracts have been considered technical offences, enabling first-time offenders to escape prosecution.

But councillors in York are taking a tougher stance by agreeing to take formal action against them.

Councillor David Horton said: "There's no doubt that these people who venture into this area are the lowest of the low in the criminal community by targeting vulnerable people.

"Anything we can do to restrict their activities to protect these people has to be welcomed."

In a report to the council, trading standards officer Matt Boxall said rogue traders often ignored the rules and began work immediately, making it difficult for people to exercise their right to change their mind.

He outlined a case from August when a roofing contractor called uninvited at an elderly York man's bungalow, who agreed to have repointing work done.

The man went out for several hours and later returned to find scaffolding around his home with tiles removed.

The trader demanded £10,000. His victim handed over a cheque for half that amount and was then harassed for the balance.

Last year, The Northern Echo launched its Doorsteppers campaign to crack down on bogus callers and door-to-door salespeople.