Many Brits do not trust builders, plumbers or electricians because they have had bad experiences with rogue traders in the past, a new study claims.

Some 38 per cent of homeowners remain skeptical when it comes to tradespeople, according to the Office for Fair Trading (OFT) as it launches its new trading standards scheme TrustMark.

It received around 111,000 complaints last year with botched work costing homeowners some £1.5 billion.

OFT chief executive John Fingleton said more needs to be done to get people to trust tradespeople again.

"Consumers are entitled to a good standard of service - whether it is from a plumber, an electrician or a builder," he said.

"We believe that the TrustMark scheme ensures that consumers can be confident of the service they receive and that they will be dealing with a reputable firm and not falling victim to a rogue trader."

Traders displaying the TrustMark logo will have met the required standards when it comes to the quality of their work, their financial trustworthiness and their ability to handle complaints and requests.

More than 5,000 traders have already signed up to the scheme, with TrustMark hoping that 25,000 individuals will join by the end of the year.