TRADING Standards officers will be visiting neighbourhoods in Swindon next week advising them to say ‘no’ to cold calling doorstep traders.

And to reinforce the anti-rogue trader message, Swindon Council’s Trading Standards team are urging people to look out for their vulnerable neighbours by taking details of suspicious callers and contacting the police or Trading Standards to report any cold callers.

The council will be visiting areas vulnerable to rogue traders from Monday along with Wiltshire Police to talk to householders a week before a national campaign when the issue comes into force.

The ‘Good neighbours stop rogue traders’ campaign focuses on preventing doorstep crime by encouraging neighbours, family, friends and carers to look out for those most at risk in their communities.

The campaign is a partnership led by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), Citizens Advice and the National Trading Standards Board.

Latest research shows there could be as many as 170,000 incidents of doorstep crime each year. Doorstep criminals exploit vulnerable citizens by convincing them to pay for shoddy or incomplete repair work, charging extortionate fees for their service.

  • Members of the public who want to report cold callers can call Wiltshire Police on 101 or Swindon Trading Standards Service on 01793 466155.