Warning after bogus tree surgeons target elderly residents in Wirral

Jan 2 2013 by Helen Hunt, Birkenhead News

BOGUS tree surgeons are going door-to-door in Wirral taking advantage of residents’ fears about a tree disease.

The borough’s trading standards department says that unscrupulous cold callers, fuelled by people’s fears about diseased ash trees – or Chalara Dieback, are offering to ‘test’ or ‘spray’ trees, regardless of what species they are.

Today the advice from the department, who believe particularly elderly people are being targeted, was that they are “almost certainly scammers with no expertise or interest in the problem” and to send them away.

Cllr Brian Kenny, Wirral Council Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Door-to-door salespeople can be very convincing and their advice can appear plausible, but people should remember that, in the main, this kind of rogue trader is really just after quick cash.

“By following our advice, it will show them that you are not an easy target and the likelihood is they will move on very quickly.”

Call the police on 101 with any suspicious activity.