Highways bosses have issued a warning about cold call conmen who offer to install driveways outside homes. The warning, from officials at Hartlepool Borough Council, follows incidents which have left the authority with expensive clean-up bills.
Trading Standards officers are already investigating some so-called tradesmen who have carried out botched work.
In recent weeks the authority has spent more than �10,000 in clean-up bills because of rubble dumped on open land.
Highways officials have stressed that kerbs - as part of the public highway - can only be touched with the council's authorisation.
The council's senior technical officer Brian Dinning said: "These people clearly don't have permission to do this sort of work.
"Experience suggests that doorstep callers usually charge inflated prices and if the quality of their work doesn't come up to scratch householders often have no comeback."
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