REPORTS of conmen offering tree surgery work are on the rise, warns Cornwall Trading Standards team. The men call without an appointment, their work is substandard and it is often charged at a much higher price than a genuine trader would charge. In the wake of the recent storms, trading standards officer Leanne McLean said: ‘We anticipate the amount of cold calls residents receive offering this kind of service may well increase over the coming weeks. Residents should never agree a contract with someone who cold calls them at home. ‘Legitimate businesses do not call without an appointment.’