TWO small garden businesses say they are being plagued by what they believe are scam phonecalls and have warned others to be careful.

Jason Reeves, of Dean Street, has run Pond Services and Hands For Hire in and around Swindon for about two years.

This month he has had several phonecalls from a company that claims to be called Adrian Smythe Publishing.

Mr Reeves said: "They told me I had agreed to sponsor 10 crime prevention magazines, to be given to schools, and it was going to cost me £95.

"But I would never have agreed to that and I'm the only one who answers the phone and does the paperwork in my business so it's not as if somebody else could have authorised it."

Mr Reeves said that the sales rep on the other end of the phone spoke very fast both times he has been contacted, and also put the phone down hastily whenever company details were asked for.

However, his suspicions were raised the second time he was phoned when the caller asked if he was Orchard Garden Services, rather than Pond Services.

After Mr Reeves checked, he found that Orchard Garden Services does operate in Swindon, and that the proprietor Nas Orchard had also been targeted by the company claiming to be Adrian Smythe.

Both are reputable businesses and fortunately, neither has paid any money to Adrian Smythe.

"I don't want anyone in Swindon to fall victim to them," said Mr Reeves.

At the end of last year the Federation of Master Builders issued a warning about Adrian Smythe Publications and told its members to contact regional offices if approached by them.

Robert Taylour, Swindon Council's head of public protection said: "One can't be absolutely certain whether companies like this are scams or not.

"Plenty of companies carry out perfectly legitimate business, and it can be an effective way of advertising.

"Often it's false invoices that are sent out, which businesses pay believing they are genuine, that are a major problem."

Mr Taylour said that were this to be a scam it could be reported either to the police or to trading standards.

A good place to start is Consumers Direct, the Government-backed help and advice line to complain or raise worries about traders, on 0845 4040506.