One family in three in Brighton and Hove claims to have been ripped off by rogue tradesmen.

More than 21,787 households complained about cowboy traders charging high prices for bad work in a study by British Gas, backed by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The firm spoke to 62,000 households in the city and discovered 35 per cent were unhappy with work done in their homes.

Teacher Tara Murphy, 31, of Ditchling Road in Brighton is among those who fell victim.

It took her more than six weeks and cost £1,500 to get a boiler installed - a job that should take a day.

In that time the plumber smashed her door down, cracked a windowsill, broke a radiator and even drilled a hole through to the front of the house.

With the job still not finished he started making abusive phone calls threatening court action if she did not pay up.

Miss Murphy said: "It was absolutely awful. The amount of damage he did to my flat was appalling.

"He had been recommended by friends so I thought it was someone I could trust."

Wendy Sawyer, from British Gas, said: "Clearly the official figures represent a tiny proportion of the hidden misery caused in Brighton and Hove by rogue traders. Now consumers are demanding more protection from the cowboys and stiffer penalties for the worst offenders.

"There are plenty of good and honest builders and tradesmen out there. But a lack of knowledge leaves consumers feeling quite powerless to challenge builders' quotes or the quality of their work."

Advice from British Gas on hiring a good tradesman includes: * Avoid tradesmen who can start a project immediately - most reputable tradesmen will already be committed and will need to give you a starting date * Make sure they provide references and are recognised trade body members * Don't rely on just having mobile numbers or PO Box addresses * Get an itemised quote in writing * Never accept discounts for cash and avoid builders who cold-call * Do not pay up front and make sure you can hold back cash if the work is bad * Check they are not taking constant tea breaks * The best tradesmen and builders are in demand. They will want to finish fast to move on to the next job.

John Peerless, trading standards manager at Brighton and Hove City Council, said the problem was rife in the city.

He said: "We are concentrating our efforts on tackling rogue traders as we regularly get complaints about home maintenance.

They have topped our list of complaints month on month for the last two to three years.

"We fully endorse the advice given by British Gas and we always advise 'say no to doorstep sellers'."

The Government says there are 100,000 complaints nationally about shoddy builders and tradesmen, making it the main consumer complaint.

Victims feel the distress caused by cowboy workmen is equal to being burgled and have called for tougher action, according to British Gas.

Three quarters of people asked believe serious cases should result in a prison sentence as well as a ban from trading.

Botched home improvements nationwide cost families £1.5 billion every year, the survey found.

A trusted tradesman register from British Gas and Homepro is available at www.house.co.uk

Friday April 23, 2004