ROGUE builders who make lives a misery by charging thousands of pounds for shoddy work could be wiped out if people take extra care, trading standards officers warned today.

Summer is traditionally the time cowboy operators start trying to ply their trade with pressurised door-to-door sales.

Officers are warning that unless residents take care, they could end up thousands of pounds out of pocket because of builders from hell.

Oxfordshire trading standards officer Martin Allen said: "If anyone comes knocking on your door asking if you need work doing then they're not worth bothering with. We've had cases where people have ended up paying thousands more than they expected for sub-standard work."