Rogue traders are operating on the Isle of Man.

That's the message from the Office of Fair Trading which says it’s still taking reports of unsolicited visits being made to properties.

The cold callers are offering home improvement works including roofing, power washing and tree surgery.

Cold-calling is illegal on the Isle of Man – the law also extends to unsolicited phone calls.

John Peet is the Chief Inspector of Trading Standards – he says: "We continue to work closely with the police and other enforcement agencies to stop cold calling.

"Rogue traders will deliberately target the vulnerable by cold calling and this can lead to the commission of other criminal offences such as distraction burglaries and fraud.

"Victims may not be prepared to give evidence as they are afraid of repercussions, concerned about potential court proceedings or simply embarrassed, however, notwithstanding this, in my experience, it is generally a matter of time before a rogue trader mistakenly targets someone who will give evidence and the OFT will not hesitate to prosecute any rogue trader in those circumstances.

"Offenders are liable to custodial sentences and/or fines that reflect the impact that cold calling can have on victims.

"I am personally aware of instances where victims have become very distressed, fallen ill, lost all their confidence or suffered from a combination of these shocking consequences."