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Whitburn residents say no to cold callers

Northumbria Police

3 November 2009


Police in South Tyneside have joined forces with South Tyneside Council and residents to introduce a 'No Cold Calling Zone' at Whitburn sheltered accommodation.
Cold calling is when someone calls at your door uninvited, usually because they want to sell you something.
But the new zone, at Lindsay Court, off Mill Lane, aims to put a stop to this practice by becoming a designated area where the community has declared they no longer wish to accept traders calling at their homes without an appointment.
Lindsay Court will have a sign erected stating it is a designated No Cold Calling Zone and residents will be given advice and information on how it works, as well as receiving advice as to how to deal with unwanted doorstep callers.
The zone is the fourth of its kind in South Tyneside has been put in place to send out a clear message to cold callers that they are not wanted in the area, but it also aims to stamp out incidents of rogue traders or bogus officials.
Its launch also comes as part of Not In My Neighbourhood week - a national drive to highlight work being carried out locally to make our communities feel safer.
While there is no law preventing cold calling, this voluntary scheme relies on residents in the area to say no to cold callers and report them to Trading Standards if they enter the zone.
However, there are legal requirements for traders to give consumers a cooling off period of seven days if they agree to purchase goods or services as a result of both solicited and unsolicited visits. Trading Standards can take action against companies that do not provide written details of the right to cancel.
Nick Gjorven, Neighbourhood Sergeant for the area, said: "A lot of people, not just those who are elderly, can feel vulnerable when they approached by strangers at their front door and simply don't know what they should do.
"The new zone aims to put a stop to this practice, allowing residents to collectively say no to cold callers. It is also designed to cut incidents of rogue traders and bogus officials in the area.
"We would advise residents in this zone to contact Trading Standards if a cold caller breaches the zone, but to always contact police if they are suspicious about any callers in the area, making a note of what they look like and any vehicle they may be travelling in.
"As always we would ask all residents to remain vigilant at all times in relation callers claiming to be officials, making sure to check identity cards, which should include a photograph of the caller and details of the company.
"When faced with a tradesperson, residents should ask for a written quotation containing the company's name, address and telephone number before giving them any money or they carry out any work.
"We would also urge people to follow the advice given in respect of rogue traders by Trading Standards."
John Musson, Director of Housing and Service Improvement for South Tyneside Homes, said: "We also welcome this initiative for Lindsay Court. Cold calling can prove to be distressing for our tenants and this campaign will provide peace of mind for the residents. We hope it sends a clear message to uninvited traders to stay away and that it improves estate security."
Councillor Joanne Bell, Lead Member for Innovation and Safer Stronger Communities, added: "Many doorstep crimes go unreported to Trading Standards or police.
"The aim of the 'No cold calling' zone is to actually prevent uninvited traders from knocking on residents' doors, removing the danger of people parting unnecessarily with their money.
"The feedback we have had from residents within the first two zones has been really positive and they have indicated they feel safer in their homes since the schemes were launched. We hope this zone will have the same impact."
The council has introduced a unique system to alert residents or carers of elderly or vulnerable people in South Tyneside. The text message alert system enables warnings to be sent to subscribers alerting them to scams or rogue traders operating in the borough. Anyone can subscribe to the scheme by texting, the word "doorstep" to 07786 200 802.
Trading Standards have also created a 'Safetrader Scheme' which provides a list of tradesmen who have agreed to a code of practice produced by the council to ensure work is carried out in accordance with legal requirements and to an acceptable standard.
Further information on the Safetrader scheme is available on the council's website www.southtyneside.info/safetraders or a list of Safetraders can be requested by phoning (0191) 424 7878.