Home & Garden Sir Terry pledges to 'Push the Button' for fire safety
02/03/2010
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Celebrities from across the music, showbiz and sporting worlds are backing the Government’s Fire Kills campaign with a “Push It Pledge”, to urge people to test their smoke alarm every week.
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Office of Fair Trading launches new campaign to help stamp out scams
According to research by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) every year 3.2 million adults – one in 15 people in the UK – fall victim to a scam involving deceptive unsolicited mailings, phone calls, emails or texts. Every year £3.5 billion is lost by consumers to the scammers and the average amount lost per scam is £850.
Scamnesty, the annual campaign by the OFT, returns in February 2010 and aims to empower people to fight back against the scammers
Not your 'bog standard' Day....!
Thomas Crapper Day (27 January 2010) marks the 100th anniversary of Thomas Crapper’s death, and the Consumer Council for Water is calling for consumers to take a minute to reflect on where we might be without today’s modern sewerage system, and consider our responsibility in helping it continue to work properly.
Silent fright - fifteen million hit by silent phone calls every week
Fifteen million Britons are plagued by silent phone calls from call centres every week, according to research issued today. The figure, from a Telephone Preference Service poll conducted by Mori, was released as consumers were urged to back a bid to impose a maximum £2 million fine on the culprits.
Wildlife charity encourages curtain twitching
Conservation charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species is asking members of the public to keep an eye on mammals in the green spaces around their homes and places of work as part of their annual survey, Living with Mammals. The survey records the public’s observations of mammals and their tell-tale signs in the built environment, helping provide a picture of how towns and cities can support our native wildlife.
A personalised service
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Chief Crown Prosecutor Ian Rushton outlines how the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) deals with crimes against older people, and what support victims and witnesses can expect.
Celebrate safely this Christmas
People often get distracted by the hustle and bustle of Christmas and are unaware of the potential fire hazards and toxic threats that can lurk in fairy lights, candles and flammable decorations. The Fire Kills campaign wants everyone to have a happy and safe Christmas this year and is urging the public to take fire safety seriously.
How to spot a top tradesman
Every year, cowboy builders and rogue traders clock up around £1.5 billion worth of problems for homeowners across the country. From shoddy kitchens, to improperly installed whitegoods, to leaky roofs, there are plenty of horror tales around.
Protecting the vulnerable in West Sussex
An information-sharing agreement between the Police, Age Concern and POP (Partnerships for older People) is helping to protect and reassure the vulnerable and lonely in West Sussex.
Beware of gas cowboys
A quarter of a million gas jobs are potentially botched every year by irresponsible traders who don’t have relevant skills or qualifications. And as the days are getting colder, and many of us are turning to our central heating, the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is urging consumers to take care should they need to find a handyman to fix their boiler.
Don't drown in toxic smoke
Drowning in the toxic smoke of a house fire is the risk you take if you do not have a working smoke alarm. That is the stark message being delivered in the new ‘Fire Kills’ advertising campaign launching this month from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Unusual gifts for the gardener who has everything
If you are looking for a Christmas gift for the gardener who has everything, why not do some Christmas shopping at Thrive’s new online shop? Thrive is a small national charity that uses gardening to help disabled people. Buying a Thrive virtual wheelbarrow gift is a fun way to make a donation and will help make a real difference to disabled people’s lives.
How to foil the overseas scammers
We have been receiving letters and emails from readers who have fallen foul of ‘scams’ from unscrupulous operators overseas. We asked Jed Mayatt of The UK European Consumer Centre what protection exists - and what to do if you feel that you have been a victim.
Scam stories flood in from MT readers
Last month we printed the tragic story of Jessica Looke, whose final years were destroyed after she fell victim to a gang of unscrupulous ‘scammers’. After responding to a first letter telling her that she had won a prize for a competition she had not even entered, Jessica was soon drawn into a web of deceit which robbed her of her life savings and her health.
As we soon discovered, Jessica was not alone.
Organic vs Non-Organic - which will you choose?
New research from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has found that there is ‘no evidence for the superior nutritional content of organic produce’. So with the global organic food market in 2007 estimated to be worth £2 billion in the UK alone, are all those health conscious individuals wasting their time – as well as their money? By Kate Morley.
