Information on Loughborough

50th 'No Cold Calling Zone' launched in North West Leicestershire

Posted on 12/05/2009

police,constabulary,leicestershire police 50th 'No Cold Calling Zone' launched in North West Leicestershire

The police and Neighbourhood Watch have launched the 50th ‘No Cold Calling Zone’ in North West Leicestershire.

A ‘No Cold Calling Zone’ is a designated area where residents decide they no longer want traders calling at their homes without an appointment.  The zone is marked using street signs at the entrance and exit to the zone and residents are issued with an information pack explaining how to say no to unwanted callers. The pack also includes door stickers, useful leaflets and contact telephone numbers.

`Cold Calling` means someone calling at your home without an appointment. It does not include regular local traders.  The scheme is designed to prevent bogus callers who try to con their way into people’s homes.  They use a number of different excuses to try and get into your home but they often claim to be from the water board or other utility companies.

The first scheme in the North West Leicestershire area was set up in July 2006 to cover Linford and Verdon Crescent in Coalville.  Six months after the scheme was launched, an evaluation showed that 96% of residents said they felt safer living in that area. 

Since then, Steve Hastings, the Community Initiatives Coordinator at North West Leicestershire local policing unit has been working with neighbourhood Watch and Leicestershire Trading Standards to set up schemes across the policing area.  

Today (Tuesday 12th May 2009) the 50th scheme is being launched on Holyoake Drive and Crescent in Heather covering 42 houses.  Street signs will be erected and each resident will be given a crime prevention pack containing advisory material and a window sticker. The sticker is intended to be located at the front of the house and says, “Doorstep sellers BEWARE. You are not welcome here. Police and Trading Standards will be notified.”  

Steve Hastings said; “We now have no cold calling zones spread across the North West Leicestershire and they are part of our campaign to tackle distraction burglaries and the people who commit these offences.  The strength of the scheme lies in the knowledge that everyone on the street feels the same way about unwanted callers, has been given advice about how to handle people on their doorstep and relays that information to others in the scheme and the police.  It also acts as a deterrent to offenders who see the signs and know to keep away.  I think only Oadby and Wigston local policing unit has as many cold calling zones as we do.”