Cold callers offering services such as home improvements on the doorstep should be subject to a ban, according to trading standards experts.

The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) has called for a review of current regulations after a survey revealed the extent of public opposition to the practice.

Over 95 per cent of respondents said they did not welcome people selling goods on doorsteps, with only one person in 1000 actually welcoming cold callers.

The study found that the overwhelming majority of householders felt that sales people did not bring "any benefit" to them.

The TSI believes that as well as being a nuisance, cold callers can represent a serious threat, particularly to the elderly.

Rogue traders often target vulnerable householders by offering property maintenance services to cheat people out of savings.

Ron Gainsford, chief executive of the institute said: "Up and down the country householders have been ripped off for large amounts of money by unscrupulous criminals passing themselves off as roofers, gardeners and property improvement businesses.

"Often using false names and addresses they leave distressed, bewildered and frightened people with little or no chance of redress."

A quarter of those surveyed revealed having bad experiences with doorstep callers, yet only one in six felt able to report incidents to the authorities.

Gainsford said this figure highlighted shortcomings with the current way of dealing with the problem

"If we are to protect the vulnerable elderly person from the professional experienced conman we need firm action and that is why we are calling for a outright ban on property repairs, maintenance and improvements cold calling," he said.

The survey also found that householders were often lax in their security approach to doorstep callers.

Only six per cent of respondents said they used a door chain when dealing with sales people, whilst only 13 per cent bothered to ask for ID.

However, 11 per cent said they simply didn't answer the door to cold callers.