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Residents Giving Cold Shoulder To Cold Callers

From next week 450 Poole households will be giving doorstep traders the cold shoulder with the launch of the first 'No Doorstep Selling' zones in the South West. The zones are part of a national campaign to crack down on uninvited salespeople, rogue traders and cold-callers.

Research has shown that as well as being a nuisance to residents, doorstep selling can be linked to distraction burglaries and rogue trading.  The Council's Environmental & Consumer Protection Services are launching the zones to give residents the information they need to deal with doorstep crime and the confidence to say no to uninvited salespeople.

Last year Environmental & Consumer Protection Services asked for volunteers to take part in the pilot scheme and a number of residents nominated their area. Research was conducted on each nominated area and residents were consulted, with nearly 96% actively welcoming the introduction of the zone in their road.

The following areas were selected as zones for the pilot as in the past they'd had problems with uninvited rogue traders, such as tarmac or roofing gangs, targeting the residents living in them and carrying out expensive and shoddy work:

· Gorse Hill Road, Gorse Hill Crescent and Gorse Hill Close
· South Western Crescent and Conifer Avenue
· Walton Road, St Clements Road, White Close and Kinson Avenue

Each household within the Zones has been provided with an information pack and a notice to display on their door, telling uninvited traders that they are not welcome. The zones will also have street signs, partly funded by BT , which mark the areas' boundaries and clearly state that they are "No Doorstep Selling" areas. Residents will also be encouraged to report doorstep sellers to the Borough's Environmental & Consumer Protection Services or the Police who will then investigate the trader and explain that they are unwelcome.

Councillor Don Collier, Portfolio Holder for the Environment said: "By working together with local residents, Dorset Police and Neighbourhood Watch on this positive community-led initiative, we are sending out a clear message that we take a zero tolerance policy to rogue traders who prey on the elderly and vulnerable".

Inspector Derek Lillywhite from Dorset Police said: "Poole police will be supporting this initiative to discourage cold call doorstop selling. People should be able to feel safe in their home and we will continue to work with the local authority and community towards reducing crime and the opportunity for crime".

Lizzie Beesley, BT 's regional director for the South West, said: "Campaigns like 'No Doorstep Selling Zones' are to be welcomed and we are delighted to make available £50,000 to help fund the setting up of such zones throughout the country and provide local communities, such as Poole, with what they need to prevent this infringement of consumers' privacy".

Contact: Shaun Robson, Head of Service, Environmental & Consumer Protection, Borough of Poole tel: 01202 631700