A scheme to strengthen consumer watchdogs and crack down on rogue traders, piloted in Oxfordshire, is to be extended to cover the whole of the UK.

Consumer Minister Melanie Johnson unveiled a £10m package of measures known as the National Performance Framework, which aims to modernise Trading Standards departments and give a better deal to consumers.

Officers in Oxfordshire, which was one of 19 areas piloting the project, are confident it will help them to improve their service to local people.

Brian Yendole, acting head of trading standards for Oxfordshire, said: "It will ensure service planning integrates national and local priorities aimed at benefiting the community."

Oxfordshire's innovations include a Good Trader scheme to provide home maintenance and repairs for elderly and disabled people. It also gives priority to investigating unfair trading practices involving products for the disabled.

The national scheme will improve training and skills for trading standards officers to help consumers, particularly in e-commerce.

Money will also pay for "Stop Now Orders" -- legal injunctions against unscrupulous traders.

The forthcoming Enterprise Bill will increase the legal powers available to trading standards.

Oxfordshire's former trading standards chief David Sibbert is now chairman of the Trading Standards Institute's management board.

He said: "This performance framework means that local services will be individually and collectively more accountable for the good work that they do."