Swansea is about to get its first zone where uninvited doorstep sellers are warned they are not welcome and can be reported to the Police and Trading Standards.
Based on Police and Trading Standards intelligence, Dunvant will become the first area in the city to be designated a Cold Calling Control Zone.
It means uninvited doorstep sellers are not welcomed in that zone and will be reported to Swansea Council Trading Standards and Police if they knock on doors within it. If the pilot scheme is a success then more will follow.
Councillor John Hague, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Cold calling is used as a tactic by offenders to commit doorstep crime including distraction burglary. It’s also a tactic that’s used to sell goods and services without providing customers with their statutory seven-day cooling-off period during which people are entitled to change their minds.
“This zoning will not restrict access to the type of services that people need but it will protect vulnerable members of our communities by increasing their awareness of their rights, increasing their confidence in refusing goods and services from cold callers and making sure they know what to do if they need assistance.
“I’m delighted that we have been able to use local intelligence to identify Dunvant as an area of the city where this type of scheme will be beneficial in protecting residents.”
Dunvant was chosen because it was identified as at risk of attack by criminals posing as officials or traders in order to steal valuables or money or undertake unnecessary work or to charge inflated prices.
These concerns were based on reported doorstep crimes and also the numbers of vulnerable residents living in the area who could become future targets for such bogus sales.
The No Cold Calling Zone will run from Broadmead to Geotre Bellaf Road and Cyncoed Close.
It will be clearly marked by highly visible street signs and will show visitors to the area that the residents there do not want uninvited callers. Swansea Trading Standards and the Police are supporting the residents in saying no.
All residents within the zone will be advised on how to check the identity of genuine officials who may need to call unannounced and how to refuse access to their property if they have any doubts.
Residents will also get door stickers which have proved useful in other areas in deterring cold callers in the first place.
They will also be able to report all incidents of cold calling within the zone to Consumer Direct.
Depending on the nature of the incident an appropriate response may be further provided by Trading Standards and Police.
A protocol for a rapid response team for doorstep crime consisting of Trading Standards and South Wales Police is currently being discussed.
The majority of residents have now signed up to the zone following a series of visits involving Swansea Council Trading Standards Officers and Crime Prevention Officers from South Wales Police.
A South Wales Police spokesman said: “This is an excellent example of partnership working to protect those most vulnerable because doorstep crime can have devastating effects on the victim. Trading Standards and Police take all crime seriously to keep South Wales safe.”
