RESIDENTS are being warned to be vigilant after leaflets offering subsidies for roofing work have been distributed across the borough.

Dozens of residents have reported receiving flyers to Dudley Council, which claim that funding and subsidies of up to 40 per cent are available for pensioners on roofing treatment works.

But council chiefs have said the leaflets are nothing to do with the local authority and there is no Government subsidy available for the work.

The council has previously warned residents following a similar spate of leaflets being distributed to households across the borough last summer.

Tony Oakman, strategic director for people at Dudley Council, said: “I would ask anyone who has potentially received one of these leaflets to contact our trading standards department immediately.

“We take reports very seriously and always encourage people to be on guard when they receive information of this kind.”

The leaflets promote `roof coating` work as an alternative to re-roofing and claim to make roofs `maintenance free` for up to 20 years.

Similar claims have been investigated by Trading Standards and found to be fraudulent.

In 2015, Dudley Council’s trading standards successfully prosecuted the directors and sales staff from Therma Seal UK and Therma Seal (Thermal Coatings) UK for falsely claiming that roof coating was a low-cost alternative to re-roofing, as well as making false energy saving claims.

For more information call trading standards on 01384 812045, or click here to view the council’s list of approved traders.