‘Don’t knock on my door’: Cold callers to be shunned from these 12 York streets

Twelve new cold calling control zones have been launched in York.

They are an initiative to tackle doorstep crime. Typically this sees bogus traders cold call on householders, offering to carry out unwanted or unnecessary work at grossly inflated prices.

They will often offer to do a low cost job such as repair a roof tile or fix a gutter before supposedly discovering other problems which will cost hundreds, even many thousands to fix.

They sometimes use pressure selling techniques and have even been known to drive their victims to the bank for payment.

Residents in the zones collectively agreed not to deal with cold callers and to report anyone breaching the zones to the police or trading standards.

The new zones are located in Copmanthorpe, Huntington and New Earswick. They are:

There are now 216 zones across the city covering 8,500 households which have been implemented at the request of residents.

York Trading Standards officers regularly receive reports of people cold calling residents to sell goods and services, said executive member for culture, leisure and tourism Cllr Nigel Ayre.

“In some cases we know residents have felt pressurised into parting with vast sums of money for unnecessary and poor quality products.

“We know that crimes of this nature are under-reported, and so we urge anyone with concerns or information to get in touch by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 03454 040506.”