Our local Trading Standards says it is getting calls about a new scam targeting Council Tax payers in West Berkshire.

Apparently someone, claiming to be from the Council, has been cold calling home owners telling them their Council Tax is being re-banded and they are due a refund.

They then tell the homeowners there will be a £99 fee to get their money back and ask for their bank details to enable them to make the refund.

So far only a handful of people have been affected but Sean Murphy who is the Manager of Trading Standards at West Berkshire Council says it's very worrying:

"This is kind of hot off the press really, I've not heard of this one [before] really.

"There are scams coming in all the time but this one seems to be a new one around Council Tax re-banding, certainly to this area.

"But clearly, that is not the way the Council would operate in a circumstance like this if there was any rebanding.

"One person did actually give their details but we've managed to actually advise them to contact their bank and we would advise anybody that actually did do that to contact their bank".