Watch out, Esther’s about
The tv and charity guru targets rogue traders who prey on the elderly
DAME Esther Rantzen has been a crusader for social and consumer justice for 50 years. More recently, the Childline founder has turned her focus to the plight of Britain’s elderly.
In 2012, she came up with the idea of creating another helpline,The Silver Line, this time to support vulnerable older people.
In this new series the
78-year-old has rogue traders who prey on Britain’s 11 million older people, in her sights.
Each year, there are more than 169,000 doorstep hits from unscrupulous traders, 85% of them on OAPs. That is 395 every day. We regularly hear stories of vulnerable older people paying over the odds for work, or even being marched to the bank to have their accounts drained. But what can we do to improve this situation?
Over the next four weeks, Esther and her team will focus on a different industry where older people are prone to being preyed on.
In the same way that Matt Allwright dupes Rogue Traders on Watchdog, they will identify a likely suspect, then lure them into a specially constructed house trap, where hidden cameras and microphones will capture their every move.
Esther also has a ‘silver army’ of OAP undercover agents on her side, who will play the part of the vulnerable homeowner.
The veteran broadcaster is on a mission to expose their antics for the nation to see – so Britain’s bad traders need to beware...