Cowboy tradesmen were caught on a trading standards camera stealing household goods and 'breaking' parts to fraudulently charge for a repair.

Sixty-six tradesmen were secretly filmed by hidden cameras in a 'sting' type house in set up in Frimley, Surrey. The Surrey Trading Standards officers set up the house, which they branded the 'house of horrors', after complaints from the public about so-called 'cowboy tradesmen'.

Nearly 2,000 complaints last year led them to estimate that rogue traders rip off residents to the tune of £10 million every year in Surrey alone.

Hidden recording equipment revealed one plumber searching his customer's loft for anything worth stealing. The rogue eventually managed to help himself to two towels and a pillowcase which he stuffed into his bucket.

He then charged £212 for a job worth £50, Surrey County Council said.

The plumber was one of a range of tradesmen, including boiler engineers, washing machine engineers and aerial contractors, called out to the house, some of whom could now face prosecution.

Many tradesmen failed to turn up on time and gas boiler engineers were the worst offenders, trading standards officers said, with only 13 of the 26 turning up to the house as arranged.

One washing machine repair engineer showed a broken part from a different make and model of machine, claiming it was the cause of the breakdown, said an undercover trading standards officer pretending to be the householder.

The investigation is the ninth such undercover operation carried out by Surrey Trading Standards.