A NORTH Yorkshire woman has been threatened by a gang after she refused to pay them £7,500 for resurfacing her drive.

Trading Standards officers from North Yorkshire County Council are investigating after a woman in Harrogate was approached by a doorstep caller, who offered to fill potholes with some asphalt left over from a job elsewhere.

Once the job was completed to a poor standard, the workman and his team demanded £7,500. The woman refused to pay and, after she was threatened by the gang, called the police.

The gang fled before the police arrived, but continued to harass her with threatening phone calls.

It follows similar threats made to a York vicar last month.

Coun Carl Les, the county council's executive member with responsibility for trading standards, said: "If a deal seems too good to be true then it invariably is. Every day, trading standards and police services receive calls of this type.

"The only real protection householders have is to firmly say no to doorstep callers. There are no bargains to be had and, while the authorities will always do everything they can to investigate and apprehend these criminals, they are usually very difficult to find and the chances of recovering consumers' money small."

Last month, the Evening Press reported that a York vicar had received death threats after he refused to pay a gang £12,000 for resurfacing a church car park.

The Vicar of St Andrew's, Bishopthorpe, the Rev Chris Coates, received a call from workmen who offered to resurface part of the church car park with some left-over asphalt.

The gang resurfaced the entire car park and, when the vicar refused to pay them £12,000 for the work, they threatened him. The situation got so bad that the vicar had to change his phone number.

Mr Coates, who hasn't heard from the workmen since changing his number, said: "They are just bully boys. They try to wear you down with their threats.

"They are the kind of people you need to stand up against."

Gas pipeline operator Transco has started work on a scheme to protect pensioners from conmen who call at their homes.

Its representatives will carry a larger ID card to make it easier for people with eyesight difficulties and householders to check if callers are from Transco by calling 0800 111 999.

Updated: 10:21 Tuesday, June 03, 2003