HOUSEHOLDERS across North Yorkshire are being warned about teams of itinerant tarmac gangs operating in the area.

Trading standards officers in the county have been inundated with complaints from people who have been approached by the teams.

They say thousands of pounds have been taken from householders for shoddy, poor quality and vastly over-priced work.

Commonly, householders are told by the gangs that they have spare tarmac left over from another job, and that to re-lay their drive with this tarmac would only cost a couple of hundred pounds.

In reality, the work is extremely poor quality and the end price is sometimes thousands of pounds, which consumers are then pressurised into paying.

In once instance, a tarmac gang visited an 87-year-old farmer from the Harrogate area and told him the job would cost just a few hundred pounds.

However, when they had finished they demanded £4,100 and pressurised the elderly man into paying by cheque - which was cashed at a local bank within 20 minutes.

Trading standards officers would in particular like to talk to "gangs" who have operated under the names Nelson, Miller or Highways European NGB. It is believed all these operations are linked.

The county's head of trading standards and regulatory services, Stuart Pudney, said yesterday: "We have a major problem at the moment with tarmac gangs in the area.

"I would advise all consumers not to do business with any tarmac gangs who call at their property.

"If your driveway or yard requires re-surfacing then you should contact a local contractor operating from a recognised base."

He added: "There are no bargains to be had in dealing with itinerant traders, only problems and the likelihood of losing thousands of pounds.

"We are trying to track the activities of these gangs through the county and would welcome calls from any members of the public who have seen them operating in their area."

The trading standards department can be contacted on (01609) 780780.