The Age Concern scheme to shield older people in Bradford from the dubious practices of "cowboy" builders and other tradespeople is a welcome move to protect some of the more vulnerable members of society.

Not all older people are likely to fall for the scams that disreputable workmen employ, of course. Many are as sharp and as capable of looking after themselves as people from any other age group. But the reality is that many more pensioners are likely to live alone, to have to rely on their own judgement when approached by someone offering to do work around the house, and to feel too intimidated to challenge the amount of work or the ultimate bill.

There is no shortage of horror stories: of high charges out of all proportion to the amount of work carried out, of large deposits taken for jobs which were subsequently never done, of inferior work which has gobbled up a big chunk of life savings.

However, just as not all pensioners are vulnerable, nor are most tradespeople out to cheat them. The building trade is plagued by a minority of "cowboys" who undermine confidence in the vast majority who do a good job and give value for money.

It is to be hoped that a good number of builders, architects, surveyors, plumbers and electricians come forward to be accredited under Age Concern's scheme. It is in the trade's interest as well as that of their customers to have a vetting system to sort out the good from the bad and help to restore confidence.

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