Inside Out - West Midlands: Monday February 6, 2006
Bogus Tradesmen
Bogus tradesmen prey on the vulnerable
Their victims are often elderly, their tactics devious and cold-hearted.
When bogus traders pay a visit, they leave behind a legacy of heartbreak and misery.
Inside Out goes on the trail of the conmen who earn a living by preying on the vulnerable in their own homes.
We hear from the woman who claims her elderly mothers health deteriorated after a confrontation with bogus workmen. The pensioner later died.
And we speak to the councillor who paid contractors £5,500 for a new driveway surface but when cracks and bumps started to appear the workers could not be traced.
But police and Trading Standards officials are fighting back.
Presenter Ashley Blake goes on the road with a specialist team set up to put bogus traders out of business.
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DNA Dads
Birth father? DNA can unearth family secrets
What can happen when the wrong mans name is put on a childs birth certificate?
Inside Out meets the woman who got more than she bargained for when she set out in search of the man she thought was her father.
We also hear from the man who raised a child for more than 10 years only to discover the boy was not his own.
And it seems cases like this may not be rare it is estimated that up to one in 25 men in Britain could be raising children who are not their own.
Presenter Jessica Whittaker finds out how developments in DNA technology mean it is becoming increasingly easy for people to unearth hidden family secrets.
Inside Out - West Midlands: Monday February 6, 2006
