Decorators were targeted by CoBF

The British Decorators' Association (BDA) has revealed that one of its members was approached by the Conglomerate of Business Federations (CoBF), the former company of Peter Farraday who was behind the Foundation of Business Practice (FoBP).

Last week CJ revealed that the FoBP has been targeting small businesses, offering the use of its logo to "separate your business from the cowboys" for a fee of £168.50.

Before setting up the FoBP in April, Farraday was director of CoBF. According to documents filed at Companies House, the CoBF was incorporated in February, but Farraday's directorship ceased in April.

The BDA's chief executive David Powis said: "It is starting to ring alarm bells across the association. We were alerted to the CoBF when one of our members passed on the documentation to us after being told that his business would not survive without proper certification.

"I wasted no time in contacting the company to see what it was playing at. The gentleman on the phone seemed very nervous when I told him I was from an association. He told me he couldn't send out the documentation because it was cutting down on costs."

Powis continued: "We are alerting all our members to stay well away from the CoBF. It's an easy way to part with your money.

"What concerns us is that with the rising importance of the Quality Mark scheme to stop cowboy builders, another market of companies boasting anti-cowboy certification is starting to pop up."

At some point in the past Farraday changed his surname - documents at Companies House show that his surname used to be Staines.

Farraday has moved on from the Stockport residential address registered at Companies House.

The FoBP's certification service is not accredited.