A TRADER from Dorset who travelled the country offering to clean householders' carpets, including that of a vulnerable dementia sufferer, for rock-bottom prices before hiking his charges by up to 5,400 per cent has pleaded guilty to seven offences.

A three-day trial was due to begin at Exeter Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but Mark Dudley of Humber Road, Ferndown, changed his pleas to guilty on four offences under the Fraud Act and three offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations before it started.

All the offences related to either dishonestly failing to disclose a consumers right to cancel or inviting them to purchase the services at one price before substituting a different, vastly higher price - a practice known as “Bait and Switch”.

Dudley variously traded as MD Cleaning Services Limited, Compact Cleaning Services and Dudley Cleaning Services from addresses in Dorset in 2014.

The court heard that he travelled around the country including Devon, Somerset, Cornwall and Gloucester operating a carpet cleaning business.

Consumers were telephoned out of the blue with an offer to clean their carpets at a very low price of £20.

But when Dudley came to call, the offered price was not available and instead far higher prices of up to £1,100 were charged.

In one case Dudley charged an elderly lady who had Dementia around £400, even though her carpets had been cleaned the previous day by another trader.

The consumers were not adequately told of their rights to a “cooling off” period, during which they could cancel the contract, the court was told.

In addition the court heard that the work was not professionally done with items of furniture not moved, with Dudley working around them.

After the case, the Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Service said that protecting vulnerable consumers and cracking down on scams was a high priority.

Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council's cabinet member with responsibility for Trading Standards, said: "This trader was more concerned with extracting as much money as he could out of his victims than actually cleaning their carpets.

“I’m pleased that, thanks to the consumers being prepared to give evidence, we’ve been able to bring him to justice”.

Cllr David Hall added: “The Buy With Confidence scheme, which Devon and Somerset Trading Standards help to run, is a good way to find honest and reliable local traders and avoid being ripped off.”

The court ordered Dudley to remain on bail, report to the probation service and return to court on December 15 for sentencing.