SLAM the door on rogue traders!

That is the message which is being sent out across the Eastleigh area as a campaign is stepped up to prevent tricksters preying on the elderly.

Eastleigh is the third area to be involved as Hampshire County Council's Trading Standards Service rolls out its Reducing Doorstep Crime initiative..

It is joining forces with police and local organisations, including neighbourhood watch and elderly people's groups.

The Eastleigh Doorstoppers campaign comes at a time when the police are hunting a bogus gas man who has been targeting homes.

People need to be on the alert for the con man who makes cold calls offering to carry out gas checks or change gas meters.

A cross-section of the community were invited to Netley's Royal Victoria Country Park for the official launch of the Doorstoppers project.

Project leader Helen Edgerton, of Trading Standards, explained that Eastleigh was no worse than any other area.

Rogue traders, who tried to swindle old people by carrying out botched up repairs, was a nationwide problem.

Helen said: "Our first priority is to intervene and stop people being ripped off."

That is why HTS has set up a rapid response team which can go to where a rogue trader is still in a victim's home or about to return.

Since the scheme was introduced last June the team has had 30 call- outs, saving elderly householders from handing over thousands of pounds to doorstep tricksters.

The team came to the rescue of a senior citizen who was going to be charged £3,000 for work to a driveway.

Once a rogue trader has been spotted, Hampshire Trading Standards leaflet drop the area warning other residents.