BOLTON Trading Standards is warning elderly and vulnerable residents to be on their guard against rogue traders selling overpriced insulation products.

The warning has come after a salesman spent an hour trying to convince retired physics teacher Brian Liptrot, aged 70, that he needed a chemical spray to cover his eight widows, at a cost of £3,500.

The man called at Mr Liptrot’s house in Winslow Road, Hunger Hill, after the pensioner had received a call from a spokesman of what he believed was the Government’s Warm Front team.

The caller said Mr Liptrot could be eligible for grants to further insulate his home and asked if their representative could call to do an assessment.

When the man came he filled in a tick sheet of improvements that had been carried out to insulate the house then asked if Mr Liptrot if he had “self-cleaning windows”.

When he said no, it became clear that the man was a salesman and he told Mr Liptrot that without a spray covering his windows he would not get an energy efficiency certificate which he would need if he ever wanted to sell his house.

Mr Liptrot said: “Then he quickly told me I was eligible for a grant and the price dropped to £1,750. He was here for about an hour and I just couldn’t get rid of him.

“He wanted me to sign up there and then but when I told him that I wanted to check a few facts he closed his briefcase and made a swift exit.”

Mr Liptrot has since found a DIY spray on the internet to insulate his windows which can be bought for £5, per four windows.

A spokesman for Bolton Trading Standards said they had had reports of salesmen in the Hunger Hill area attempting to sell energy efficient products like the window spray. He warned residents not to buy from cold callers.

To report a rogue trader, call 01204 336 586.