‘COWBOY gardeners’ who charge a fortune for poor quality work are targeting Warwickshire residents.
Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards is advising people not to accept offers of gardening services from unexpected doorstep callers.
The rogue gardeners charge thousands of pounds for work they are not qualified to do, before illegally dumping the rubbish they create.
Trading Standards also warned residents to check gardeners they are considering employing, including those who advertise by leaflet dropping.
Safety spokesman Coun Andy Crump said: “Rogue gardeners know little or nothing about trees and plants and will often just attempt to cut down anything they see before illegally dumping the garden waste, leaving your garden in a worse state than before.
“You can’t tell a good gardener from a bad one on the doorstep, so consider following our five top tips to achieve a beautiful garden.”
Visit news.warwickshire.gov.uk to read more advice on avoiding being victimised.