Streatham residents shun cold callers

Labour is giving door to door salesmen the cold shoulder in Streatham Vale.
Labour-run Lambeth have worked with the police to set up a 'No Cold Calling Zone' in the area, in a bid to deter cold callers and cut door-step crime.

A 'No Cold Calling Zone' (NCCZ) is an area in which door-to-door salespeople and other unsolicited visitors are actively discouraged and callers reported to Lambeth Council Trading Standards or the police. It is designed to give the community the confidence to say 'no' to cold callers, and cut door step crime, such as rogue trading and distraction burglary.

Trading Standards officers warn that rogue builders or gardeners often target elderly or vulnerable people in particular, and a seemingly innocent salesperson can actually be checking out a property so they can revisit later to carry out a burglary or distraction burglary.

The south Streatham NCCZ, which launched this week, is marked with clear signage and acts as means to protect the elderly or otherwise vulnerable people are targeted by rogue traders who calculatedly steal thousands of pounds from these individuals or become victims of distraction burglaries.

A residents' information pack with additional information, contact details and stickers has been sent to every household in the zone. There will be regular patrols by Trading Standards officers in the area and traders found working in the area will be asked to show basic documents, such as company details and contact details.

The zone has been set up after two cases where elderly residents in Streatham were conned out of thousands of pounds. In one recent case, an elderly resident lost £6,000 to a conman roofer who failed to complete the work. In the other case, a resident handed over £3,000 to a rogue trader who they had employed to lay a garden patio.
The area has become the second No Cold Calling Zone (NCCZ) to be set up in Lambeth, after a similar scheme launched in Thurlow Park ward last year.

The scheme covers Abercairn Road, Aberfoyle Road, Bates Crescent, Bencroft Road, Braeside Road, Broadview Road, Canmore Gardens, Carnforth Road, Donnybrook Road, Eardley Road, Edgington Road, Farmhouse Road, Granton Road, Larbert Road, Mantlet Close, Meadfoot Road and Summerene Close.

Lambeth Council Trading Standards officers say that legitimate traders would rarely ask for large amounts of cash as payment. Other warning signs are traders who insist on being paid in full before the work is complete and who offer to drive customers to the bank to collect the cash. Anyone in any doubt about the legitimacy of a trader should contact Trading Standards 020 7926 6102 or the police.

Anyone who wants to enquire about setting up a 'No cold calling zone' in Lambeth can call Lambeth Trading Standards on 020 7926 6102.

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