A rogue trader left empty handed after dumping stone chippings on a driveway – and demanding more than £250.

The man, who was aided by two accomplices, initially told Caroline Howkins, of South Hinksey, near Oxford, that she could have the unwanted stones for just 50p.

But before she could refuse, a lorry had dumped the material on her driveway on Monday afternoon and the man demanded £265.

Mrs Howkins, of John Piers Lan, said: “It came right out of the blue.

“There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it as my boy had just gone to work and I thought he might have forgotten something.

“I don’t normally answer the door to strangers.

“There was a man just stood there saying I could have these stones for 50p. I thought it was a bit odd, but before I could say anything he said ‘the job is done, that’ll be £265’ and I told him I don’t have any money.

“He said ‘you must have a cash card’, but I don’t and I didn’t have any money in the house.

“I said ‘you will have to call back’, and at 2.30pm my husband John was here and he told them ‘we don’t want these stones, we haven’t got any money, and we could get the stones cheaper if we did want them’.

“My husband told him he was going to call the police and the man called him some words and the police came down within a few minutes, but he just disappeared.

“The police said he was known for doing this.”

Mr Howkins, 49, added: “I was so flabbergasted, it happened so quickly.

“I didn’t see a lorry at first, but before I could say ‘no’, the lorry was here. There was nothing I could do to prevent it.

“I keep looking now, thinking he might pop back here again. He kept saying ‘I need the money now, can’t you get me £20 for my lads to have a drink?’”

A police spokesman said: “Police were called to an address in John Piers Lane on Monday at about 2.15pm to reports a man was asking for £250 for work he had done on a driveway, which was more than the householder had agreed to pay.

“When officers arrived the man had left. No money had changed hands and the householder has reported this to Trading Standards as well as the police.

“Trading Standards will be carrying out any further investigations, with the help of Pc Paul Rowland, an officer who has been seconded to work closely with Trading Standards on cases such as these.”

Mr and Mrs Howkins still have the stones.