Rogue traders and other con merchants in the East Midlands are set to be thwarted by a new team of “Scambusters” backed by £745,000 of Government funding.

The specialist Trading Standards team will be based in Nottinghamshire and will help local authorities and the Police to crackdown on rogue traders, dodgy door-step salespeople, counterfeiters, prize draw scams, cowboy builders and many other scams.

Consumer Affairs Minister Gareth Thomas said: "Rogue traders who con honest people out of their hard earned money are a disgrace.

“This new unit will help to shut these conmen down and bring them to justice. It will concentrate on the most serious scams that cause consumers in the East Midlands the biggest problems, but are often beyond the capacity of local councils to deal with.”

Councillor Eunice Campbell, Portfolio Holder for Human Resources, Customer Services and Consultation said: “Nottingham City Council Trading Standards looks forward to contributing to this regional initiative. The Scambusters team will be an important tool in our fight against rogue traders in the city. By working with our colleagues in Trading Standards across the East Midlands we will be in a better position to protect Nottingham consumers and honest businesses."

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Cabinet member for Community Safety and Partnerships, Nottinghamshire County Council said; "We are extremely proud that Nottinghamshire will host the Scambuster Unit for the East Midlands and I am confident that it will have great success in tackling rogue traders and conmen right across our region.  We are extremely happy to have successfully bid for this new Government money and know it will make a real difference to our communities."

Consumers who feel that they have been ripped off by cold calling traders or who wish to report scams or suspicious activity can report the matter to Trading Standards via the national Consumer Direct helpline on 08454 04 05 06.