By Gillian Ellison

Published at 11:12, Thursday, 21 June 2012

WHITEHAVEN’S first No Cold Calling Zone is being launched this week at Rutland Avenue.

It has been set up to help clamp down on doorstep crime and is the first in the town.

The aim of the zone – requested by local councillor Mike Hawkins, who is also a resident of Rutland Avenue – is to place power in the residents’ hands, particularly the elderly, giving them the confidence to say no to bogus callers and rogue traders, bogus officials and thieves.

The zone is identified by signs at the entrance and on footpaths leading into the estate and gives a clear signal to rogue traders that they are visiting an area where they are not welcome and where householders will not buy at the door.

If cold callers enter the zone there is a telephone number on the residents’ door stickers and calling this number will alert Trading Standards to the cold callers.

Residents were canvassed for their views and all of the residents who returned their forms voted overwhelmingly in favour of the zone being set up.

The zone has been organised by Cumbria County Council’s Trading Standards department, in consultation with Cumbria Police and West Cumbria Community Safety Partnership.

Angela Jones, trading standards manager, said: “These zones are put in place to stop rogue traders ripping off residents and have proved successful across other areas of Cumbria.

“That’s why we are now starting to set them up in the north of the county.”

Anyone who has information about doorstep crime should contact Trading Standards via Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk