A BLACKPOOL pensioner is warning people to be on their guard after rogue builders targeted homes in the Norbreck and Cleveleys area The woman, who is in her eighties, feels too embarrassed to be named after she paid more than £1,000 to a firm calling itself Wallcoating North West to carry out maintenance work on her house.

The firm, who had distributed leaflets to houses in the area last November, carried out repair work to her home in the Norbreck area of the town which was supposed to include replacing the "blown" bricks and treating the rest of the bricks to give them an impervious coating.

The work came with a ten-year guarantee and was meant to be completed by three men and take one week. But only two men arrived -- travelling from Leeds each day -- and it took just three days.

But four months later the bricks began to "blow" and the woman tried to contact the firm's marketing manager, John Coppock. After writing numerous letters to their office in Chester, the manager finally visited, promising to fulfil his guarantee and send workmen round. Nobody came. Trading Standards were contacted and they wrote to Wallcoating North West the company but the letter was returned marked "not at this address".

The woman, who now has to find more money to put right the work, is appealing to anyone who receives a leaflet from Wallcoating North West through their door to contact Trading Standards.

"I feel such a fool parting with my money like that," she said. "The man was so nice, chatting to me and then even reducing the price for me. I feel so stupid. I am aware of the dangers of rogue builders and wouldn't normally be taken in by anybody but he was such a nice chap."

A spokesman at Trading Standards said cases like these were fairly common. "It is relatively easy for rogue firms to go to ground and resurface again as another firm."

A spokesman for Cheshire Trading Standards said he was aware of complaints against the Chester-based firm. He said the most recent complaint they had received was in June and they visited the premises at that time to find they were no longer operating from the site.

Blackpool officers were continuing their investigations.