'As worrying as it is outrageous' - Scammers reportedly taking stones from newly resurfaced roads in Lincolnshire
Stones are reportedly being taken from newly resurfaced roads in Lincolnshire, as part of a new scam that has been labelled ‘as worrying as it is outrageous’.
Lincolnshire County Council says scammers are reportedly sweeping up loose material from resurfacing work, then offering to re-do their driveways with it.
Posing as highways workers, it is believed the offenders are going from house-to-house, claiming to have extra Tarmac and stone chips left over from nearby works.
“Taking the stones from the roads before they’ve bedded-in properly leaves them in a poor state and will mean the council needs to revisit those sites and do the work all over again,” a spokesman for Lincolnshire County Council said.
“None of our crews carry out private works. And, at the end of each shift, materials are weighed in again to ensure minimal waste and that everything is accounted for. Somebody claiming to be from the council’s highways team, saying that they have leftovers, is telling you a lie and trying to scam you.
“When a road is resurfaced, the loose stone chips are left in position on the road to allow the lower bitumen layer to toughen up, and traffic driving over the surfaces helps more of the stones embed into that layer. It all means that the roads remain safe and ultimately get an even better finished surface.”
Coun Michael Cheyne, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, urged householders to be wary.
“This scam is as worrying as it is outrageous,” he said. “For these people to approach people with this lie is bad enough, but for them to also be stealing materials from the top of roads is causing a real risk to the other members of the public, too.
“We will be doing everything we can to get the newly-surfaced roads back to order as quickly as we can. We will also have officers on the case to get the thieves identified.
“If anyone approaches you offering to do your driveway for cash with leftover materials from a nearby highways job, tell them no.
“They are not legitimate. This is a scam. They will not do a good job and you could be left with a driveway ruined and out of pocket.”
Mark Keal, head of Lincolnshire Trading Standards, added: “Sadly, these rogue traders think nothing of cheating residents out of their hard-earned cash. If something sounds too good to be true, that is most often the case.
“If you are approached in this way it’s important not to feel pressurised. Take control of the situation by following some basic steps. Get a range of quotes and check if your preferred trader has insurance and is a member of an approved trader scheme, like Buy with Confidence or TrustMark.
“If you are ever unsure whether someone is working on behalf of the highways team, contact the council on: 01522 782070 to confirm.”