The Leicester Mercury has launched a campaign to rid the city of rogue traders who have been bullying elderly residents into having work done and then over-charging them.

The Round Up The Cowboys initiative has been created in partnership with local police and trading standards officers and has also been backed by the charity Age Concern.

As part of the campaign the paper is featuring the personal stories of victims who have fallen prey to conmen and is also publishing advice on how to foil the doorstop cowboys.

In a comment piece in the Mercury, editor Nick Carter told readers: “We have had enough of reporting the sorry tales of elderly people being ripped off by cowboy traders.

“It’s time to get tough on the cowboy traders and with your help we can ride them out of town.”

The campaign comes after the Mercury highlighted the plight an 81-year-old man who was driven to the bank by cowboy workmen to pay the £1,800 he was charged for resurfacing his drive.

Thanks to the actions of a quick-thinking cashier, the transaction did not go ahead.

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