A new service giving householders the chance to find trustworthy tradesmen through a single online inquiry has been launched by media company Archant Suffolk.

SUFFOLK: A new service giving householders the chance to find trustworthy tradesmen through a single online inquiry has been launched by media company Archant Suffolk.

In a bid to stop customers being conned by rogue traders, The Evening Star has introduced www.localquotes24.co.uk - a website offering free quotes for a wide range of home improvement services.

The site, which includes an audio-visual guide for new users, takes visitors through a simple step-by-step process in which they specify the service required, their location and the urgency of the work, together with a brief description of the project.

For more complex schemes, involving more than one area of skill, there is a facility to indicate what other work is also required.

Having completed their details online, users will then receive a telephone call from a member of the Local Quotes 24 team to check the inquiry for accuracy and authenticity.

Users of the website will typically receive quotes from three traders, all of them pre-vetted as members of a recognised trade body as an assurance of reliability.

It is then up to users to make contact with the trader of their choice and agree the details of the work in the normal way. If they are not happy with any of the quotes received, they are under no obligation to use them.

Donna Harvey-Arnell, advertising director at Archant Suffolk, said: “Local Quotes 24 gives consumers easy access to a vetted panel of local traders through a brand they can trust, getting no obligation quotes which will save them time and probably money, too.

“It also gives local traders the opportunity to register and so gain more local business.”

To secure a range of quotes for your home improvement ideas, visit www.localquotes24.co.uk. Traders wishing to register to offer quotes via the site should e-mail geoff.maddison@archant.co.uk