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The cost of petrol and diesel at the pumps has reached record levels in the last couple of weeks due to a combination of a weak pound, recent tax rises and the increasing cost of oil.

But don't despair, money expert Martin Lewis knows some simple steps you can take to reduce the cost of motoring, and we've been putting them to the test.

You can also download our cutting petrol costs factsheet.

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Cutting down a tree can be a risky business, especially in your own back garden. Plus if you live in a conservation area or if you have trees protected by tree preservation orders, you need to have permission from your local council to commence or commission tree work. If you don't, both you and the contractor who does the work risk a fine of up to £20,000.00.

But that's something which doesn't bother our rogue trader this week, David Stanley. David is operating as a tree surgeon in and around West London. He has used multiple company names, but he's currently calling himself London's A1 Tree Services, which is not to be confused with other ompanies with similar names.

Local council tree officers in London have told us David Stanley's been causing trouble in the capital for years; by incorrectly telling homeowners with protected trees that they do not need permission to prune or fell them, so that he can get the work.

We also know of complaints against David regarding him overcharging, inventing work, pruning trees so severely that they die, and providing fake names and company addresses. In the past he's also falsely passed himself off as an Approved Contractor of the Arboricultural Association, and it took High Court action in 2007 to stop him.

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