New laws to protect consumers from high-pressure sales in the home have come into force.

Dudley Council’s trading standards has joined the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) in welcoming the laws as good news for householders.

Regulations, introduced this week, are designed to protect consumers when they enter into contracts signed in their home or place of work.

The new laws, unlike the old regulations, cover solicited as well as unsolicited contracts. This means consumers now have a seven day cooling off period to cancel contracts if they enter into an agreement with a salesman they have invited around to their home in addition to cold-callers.

The new laws also mean if a householder agrees in writing to work starting straight away and then cancels their contract within seven days, they will still have to pay a reasonable amount for any work done by the trader.

Previously if a cancellation had been made within the seven day period the consumer would not have been obliged to make any payments.

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for the environment and culture, welcomed the new laws.

She said: “We urge consumers not to feel pressured into letting traders start work straight away and to always take time to think about agreeing to work on their home.

"People should take the opportunity to shop around and get more quotes first.”