A FACTORY has been raided and three people arrested, following a major inquiry sparked by a York pensioner.

Police and trading standards officials from York, Derbyshire and the East Midlands launched a joint operation after the woman, in her 80s, was sold a mobility aid allegedly not fit for purpose.

Their investigations uncovered more than 200 other complaints against the firm, ranging from aggressive sales tactics to selling inadequate equipment.

In one case a man in his 90s, who suffered from epilepsy and partial blindness, was allegedly pressured into buying a mobility scooter he did not need nor could use.

A Derbyshire Police spokesman said officers raided Compass Mobility in Clay Cross, near Chesterfield, and arrested three men, aged 61, 47 and 43.

All three are on police bail, pending further inquiries into alleged breaches of the Consumer Protection Against Unfair Trading regulations.

The raid was led by the Yorkshire and Humber Scambusters team, based in York, who were first alerted through the York pensioner’s complaint. The woman has not yet been named.

Scambusters manager David Short said: “I would urge people who are cold-called by anyone offering mobility aids to be very cautious; in some cases the sales people are saying they have been referred by the social services in an effort to con the individual into letting them into their home.

“These companies target the elderly, infirm and vulnerable. I would ask relatives and neighbours to look out for the elderly to make sure they do not fall prey to these callous con-artists.”

A Compass Mobility worker, who said he was a manager but declined to be named, said: “At this stage, we would not want to comment regarding any speculation as and when an inquiry is going on.”

The Scambusters team was launched in York last autumn, backed by £750,000 of Government money. It is dedicated to identifying and tackling large-scale scams and rogue trading throughout the region.