Sussex has been swamped with cowboy builders from across Britain looking to cash in on the storms and tornados.

Con-men hoping to rip off residents whose homes have been left devastated have inundated the worst-hit neighbourhoods, largely preying on the elderly who are most vulnerable.

They tout for business aggressively, charge ridiculously high prices and have even threatened to hurt people who complain about their shoddy work.

In Uckfield, where parts of the town were left underwater after the River Uck burst its banks, the town council has been besieged by offers of 'lightning' repairs.

Unscrupulous builders have even been ringing up demanding to be given the names and addresses of people whose homes were damaged in the floods.

Council environment manager Christine Wheatley said: "Everyone has been trying to get in on the act, they have offered office furniture and yesterday there was someone trying to sell us sandbags! We just tell them where to go and things that come in the post go straight in the bin. We are just not interested - a reputable builder would not be phoning up a town council for business. They are just trying to make a fast buck."

Uckfield mayor Mike Skinner said: "We have had a number of calls from teams of people from Scotland asking us to give them the names and addresses of people who have been flooded out.

"My advice is you should always approach a builder rather than a builder approach you."

First Check Point, a Worthing-based voluntary organisation which puts people over the age of 60 and single women in touch with reputable builders, received a staggering 245 calls from people asking for advice or making complaints between Monday and Thursday.

Director Hazel Jones said there had been reports of cowboy builders in Bognor Regis, Shoreham and Littlehampton.

One resident was charged £200 to have three roof tiles replaced.

Mrs Jones said: "It is very serious. Trading standards think these people realise they have been noticed so they will cool off for a while and then come back later. It is disgusting, these builders are targeting people who live in constant fear they may run out of money before they die."

Essex Road, in Bognor Regis, was one of the worst affected areas when the first tornado struck. The road was plagued with builders knocking on doors and touting for business.

One resident, who does not want to be named, said: "We have had people coming round pretending they had been sent to repair a hole in the roof of our house. They say they have done next door's and would we like them to do our roof.

"One morning we had four lots come round after our own builder came round to assess the damage."

Another Essex Road resident, Angie Hicks, said: "They go up and down the road all day long. They are in white lorries with a tar barrel and a ladder on the back. I have seen them looking at our roof and I only wish they had come round because I would have sent them packing!"

West Sussex Trading Standards has set up a special operations team to respond to complaints about cowboy builders and gather evidence in partnership with the police.

Incidents under investigation since the tornadoes include:

*In Alwick, near Bognor Regis, aggressive workmen wanted to charge £400 to replace seven roof tiles.

*In Bognor Regis, two builders threatened a woman with violence after she complained of shoddy work carried out at the weekend.

*A 94-year-old partially sighted man in Aldwick was told his roof urgently needed to be repaired when there was no damage.

Trading standards has issued this advice to people hit by storm damage - refuse to buy services who solicit for work; ask for references; ask for a written quotation with the name and address of the builder; use a builder who belongs to a trade association and check they do.