PEOPLE are being warned of "unscrupulous businesses" looking to take advantage of people needing emergency repair work during the coronavirus outbreak. 

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) says it has been made aware of opportunists trawling social media for individuals looking for emergency repair work at an increasingly vulnerable time for all.

CTSI Lead Officer, Katherine Hart, said: "I urge people to ensure that for any emergency work, the price is agreed on upfront and to make sure the agreement is put in writing and with a trusted trader, or one you've used before.

"We are aware of unscrupulous businesses who are trawling through social media and preying on people at this time of crisis, offering to do substandard and unsafe work at grossly inflated prices.

"Any non-emergency work still needs to comply with cancellation regulations and a cooling-off period. If it is a non-emergency, please wait until this crisis is over. Do not put your family at risk by using someone that you don't know."