Reasons Why Cold Callers Should Think Twice.

Cambridgeshire County Council has launched its 50th ‘No Cold Calling’ zone – putting uninvited salesmen on notice that they will be wasting their time knocking on doors there.

Nationally, more and more such designated cold calling control zones – spearheaded by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) – are being set up with the help of £50,000 sponsorship from BT.

Cambridgeshire Trading Standards Service and the local police first came up with the idea for such zones three years ago, after a spate of doorstep crime in a cul de sac of elderly people’s bungalows.

When schemes are launched, Trading Standards professionals team up with police and community groups, such as Neighbourhood Watch, to visit each resident in the area.

The residents are given a pack, including ‘We’re not buying it’ door stickers, advice on home security and information about what to do if an unwanted trader calls. Signs, headed ‘Police Notice’ with the message ‘No uninvited salespeople’, are then erected on lampposts.

TSI promoted the scheme nationally at its Conference 2005 and the £50,000 sponsorship from BT has so far helped to fund the setting up of 23 ‘No Cold Calling’ zones around the country.

David Broughton, Head of Projects, Education and Information for Cambridgeshire Trading Standards Service, said: ‘The aim is to empower residents to have the confidence to say ‘no’ to uninvited salespeople – and to warn potential rogue traders and cold callers that they are visiting an area where people will not buy at the door.

‘Our original project worked so well in reducing the number of doorstep callers that the idea has now expanded throughout Cambridgeshire – and we have just launched our 50th zone, which is in the town of March.

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