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Tradesmen have allegedly become the target of a parking scam in North London.

A DIYer from Scotland got a rather unpleasant surprise when his neighbour burst into his house, armed with a rifle and demanded that he stop his work immediately.

Mortgage lending in the UK dropped to an eight-year low during April. However, there are further signs that activity in the housing market has started to stabilise.

There's good news for home improvement retailers, with the Halifax Home Improvement Survey showing that more than half of homeowners (55%) have undertaken home improvement projects in the past 12 months spending an average of £5,300.

One in ten people who attempt amateur DIY projects over the bank holiday, will make mistakes costing them up to and over £100 to rectify, according to insurance company AA Insurance.

To help prevent these mistakes the company advises those considering DIY projects:

• Get advice before you start - most DIY centres offer helpful leaflets on common projects

A report released today by the Energy Saving Trust says that UK households could save £220 million a year and 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by making DIY improvements to their homes.

The research also found that 53 per cent of the UK population are classified as "DIY shy" and are not confident enough to complete basic home improvement jobs.

A doctor from Melbourne, Australia, has been declared a hero after using a household power drill to save the saving the life of a 12-year-old boy.

GP Rob Carson had to improvise and use the tool after realising that only immediate surgery would save schoolboy Nicholas Rossi, 13, after he suffered a life-threatening blood clot. Dr Carson’s small hospital had no neurological drills, so he used a handyman’s one from a maintenance room.

You may remember that ProblemSolved was recommended by Chanel 5 programme Cowboy Builders back in January of this year. Well now the popular show is back for it's second series and is looking for anyone who's had a bad experience with bad workmen.

The capital's now iconic landmark The London Eye is to set to receive a £12.5m upgrade to make it more energy efficient and avoid the need for major maintenance work for the next 15-20 years.