This Christmas, Checkatrade (www.checkatrade.com), the answer to the UK's rogue trade problem are sponsoring Spirit FM's Christmas Emergency Information service. Every day for the next two weeks, local radio station Spirit FM will be broadcasting the details of traders such as plumbers and electricians who are prepared to do emergency callouts over the Christmas/New Year period

Many of the traders available will be Checkatrade members, giving the public added confidence that they are employing a reputable company.

Kevin Byrne, founder and CEO of Checkatrade said “We are all aware of how frustrating it can be finding a tradesperson in an emergency at any time of the year, but it is particularly difficult at Christmas and New Year. I remember when one of my staff spent two hours on the phone at Christmas Eve one year, trying to find a plumber to attend a boiler breakdown, for an elderly couple. When the team at SpiritFM approached me with this idea, I was only too pleased to give it my full support.”

Sally Austin, SpiritFM Station Manager commented “As a local radio station, we are constantly seeking to bring the communities we serve the most up to date and relevant news and information. The Christmas Emergency Information is one aspect of this commitment. We saw that there was a need for such a service and we have risen to the challenge to meet it. We would encourage our listeners to note down the details of the traders who are available and keep them handy, just in case the unexpected happens.”

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Notes to Editors:

Checkatrade helps combat the UK's rogue trader problem by continuously vetting and monitoring local traders such as builders, plumbers and electricians. The idea was born in 1998 after a tornado hit the small West Sussex town of Selsey. Traders poured in from as far away as Liverpool and Manchester. Unfortunately, some ripped off the inhabitants of the town. Local businessman, Kevin Byrne, realised there was nowhere to check out the traders' credentials and the company that became Checkatrade was formed.

Since then, Checkatrade has grown to include nearly 1,800 trade members and, via the Royal Mail, distributes 3.7 million directories into communities throughout Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Dorset and Berkshire, while the website includes traders from across the UK. In 2007, the company has seen a turnover of 1.5 million - an increase of 50% on 2006. After its humble beginnings in a shed, Checkatrade – still based in Selsey - now employs around 40 staff.

Checkatrade was recently shortlisted for a 'Sussex Enterprise Business of the Year Award' and sponsored the recent SpiritFM 'Local Hero Awards'. Founder and CEO Kevin Byrne has been shortlisted as “Business personality Of The Year” in the “Portsmouth News” Business Excellence Awards.

Spirit FM is an independant local radio station broadcasting primarily to Chichester, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Its headquarters are in Chichester, West Sussex.

Contact:

Sally Austin Station Manager Tel: 01243 773600 Email: info@spiritfm.net Web: www.spiritfm.net

Contact:

Kathy Simmonds PR/Marketing Tel: 01243 601234 Mob: 07841 988373 Email: kathy.simmonds@checkatrade.com Web: www.checkatrade.com