Exeter residents warned after doorstep scam leaves pensioner 'distressed'

A doorstep scam in Exeter has left a resident distressed after men demanded cash for gardening work they were not authorised to carry out.

The incident took place in the St Thomas area, where the men claimed they had been hired to cut hedges as part of paving improvements.

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They told the resident they were from “CH Tree & Hedge Services” and insisted the council would be in touch by email, a claim later confirmed to be false.

The resident, recently bereaved, was left "distressed" and "confused" by the encounter.

Exeter City Council has stressed that neither it nor Devon County Council had authorised any such work, warning that genuine staff or contractors will never demand cash payments on the doorstep.

Residents are being urged to remain alert, refuse suspicious offers, and report incidents to Action Fraud and police via 101.

Anyone uncertain is advised to check directly with the council before engaging with doorstep callers.