Hotline to shop rogue salesmen

Shoppers are to be given a national 24-hour consumer hotline in a bid to flush out rogue traders and identify sales scams.

It will offer advice to anyone who fears they are being ripped off or who needs to know their rights. They could even demand their money back from a store.

The £30 million governmentfunded helpline, called Consumer Direct, will operate in a similar way to NHS Direct. It is the first free advice line to be opened for consumers.

Consumer minister Melanie Johnson said the service had already proved very successful in a pilot scheme.

She added: "When this was tested in Yorkshire, we found it saved the average consumer around £100 each. People loved being able to pick up the phone to simply ask for advice."

At present, shoddy goods and services cost British consumers £8.3 billion a year. Consumer groups welcomed the news but said it could prove hard to run. Phil Evans, senior policy adviser to the Consumer's Association, gave the plan a cautious welcome. "This is a good idea," he said. "But you always wonder how much these things get used."