Too many British tradespeople are not being paid for the work they have done, according to a new campaign supported by Scruffs.

#PayWhatYouOwe aims to tackle the huge number of tradespeople who have not been paid for completed work.

It began with a video on Facebook, of a tradesman who had hired a billboard to publicly shame a customer who had not paid him six weeks after he finished the job.

The latest move in the campaign is a petition backed by safety workwear designer Scruffs, that has already attracted 286 signatures.

The aim of the campaign is to introduce legislation that would provide tradespeople - particularly those who are self-employed - with more support.

This could include establishing how they are able to chase invoices, and introducing enforceable fines for unpaid invoices to deter late payments.

A spokesperson at Scruffs said: “Tradespeople are now increasingly at risk of severe financial burdens and pressure on their businesses, as invoices are delayed or disputed by customers.

“Imagine if your workplace refused to pay your salary. How would you pay your household bills, the mortgage and your general cost of living?

“Our construction professionals work incredibly hard, through rain or shine, building our roads, fixing our homes and making our towns and cities nicer places to live – they deserve better than this.”