CLEVELAND Police are cracking down on cowboy builders after a number of pensioners have been duped.

Langbourgh police revealed that three pensioners have been targeted by conmen in the past four weeks.

The bogus builders have offered to carry out work ranging from fixing a house gable end to block paving a driveway. Each of the householders paid for the work but none was carried out.

Now police have launched Operation Roof Rack which starts on Monday. Officers will carry out checks on builders' vans in the area and community policing teams will be on the look-out for the cowboys who are cold-calling the elderly across east Cleveland. Detective Inspector Chris Garner, head of intelligence in the Langbaurgh district, said: "Reputable companies should not be concerned about the operation. In fact, the ones we have spoken to are thankful because it is these rogue traders that give the building industry a bad name."

Crime prevention officers will be calling on the elderly to give advice and to remind them to check identification and references. The officers will also advise pensioners that the work should be done before any money is handed over and, if the pensioners are in any doubt, they should ask the builders to call back later when a neighbour or relative can be with them.