Door-to- door salespeople have been banned from an area of North Liverpool which was targeted by itinerant traders.
A No Cold Calling Zone has been set up to cover about 55 homes in Stanley Gardens, Orrell Park, following a spate of callers in the area which resulted in a number of residents paying excessive amounts for poor and shoddy work which they could then not get corrected by the traders.
A trading standards investigation led to two men, Dean Evans and Lee Hargreaves, being convicted of fraud and trading standards offences for which they received prison sentences.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I got taken for a ride. I paid £400 for work on my roof and it was terrible. This new zone will help stop that sort of thing especially for old people.”
The main aim of a No Cold Calling Zone is to reduce doorstep crime and distraction burglary and, as such, prevent rogue traders. It means traders cannot knock on doors without a prior appointment from a resident.
And it gives residents the confidence to deter callers who they do not wish to deal with.
Cold callers who persist in the area would face prosecution as they would be seen as carrying out aggressive acts.
The zone is not designed to prevent people from distributing leaflets or catalogues. It is also not designed to stop people on legitimate business such as gas, electricity and water meter readers.
The latest no cold calling zone is the third in the city following ones introduced in areas in Woolton and Childwall
It will be launched on Thursday 2 October at an event attended by Councillor Ann O’ Byrne, cabinet member for housing and a ward councillor, and r
epresentatives of Merseyside Police and Liverpool Trading Standards as well as local residents.
Councillor O’Byrne, said: “The first two no cold calling zones have been big successes and been warmly welcomed by residents.
“In some areas householders have been plagued by a constant stream of callers. Not only are they often unwelcome but ,as we have seen from what happened in this area, some of them are fraudulent traders who have cost elderly people a lot of money for sub-standard work.
“But even where the goods or work are genuine nobody should feel pressured into paying for them and this zone will prevent that.”
Consultation with the residents indicated strong demand for the No Cold Calling Zone to be set up.
The area is clearly advertised with lamp post signs and houses display window/door stickers so traders are aware that they shouldn’t be knocking on doors in the area.
