Cold Callers could finally be a thing of the past on Weir Estate and the Surrounding Area due to proposals which are to be considered by Residents under the No Cold Calling Zone (NCCZ) scheme which is already in place in four other wards in the Borough.

Those living on Emmanuel, Weir and Radbourne Roads are to be consulted by the partnership set up to introduce the scheme of Lambeth Trading Standards, Community Safety and The Metropolitan Police. The partnership have agreed to bring the scheme to Thornton Ward.  The already successful zones would prevent Distraction Burglaries and Bogus Traders from calling at residents homes at any time.

The area included under the NCCZ would be clearly sign posted throughout the ward and residents would have the power to report incidents to Trading Standards and the local Police.

This would also prevent residents being bombarded by nuisance cold callers which many residents have complained has become an all too regular occurrence and would see an end to residents being duped into buying goods and services they do not want.

With support and effort from Local Labour Councillor Lib Peck, Weir Estate would be included givingresidents peace of mind and security from being door stepped by anyone selling or promotinggoods and services.

However, the scheme which has worked in the four other areas of Lambeth will only get the go ahead if following consultation residents agree to the scheme. Consultation letters and forms are being sent to residents to engage their views on the proposal in the coming few weeks.

One resident reportedly living in Thornton Ward was cheated out of Five Hundred Pounds by a bogus door step trader whose work has been described as so poorly done that it had to be quickly corrected by another trader costing the resident a further Six Hundred Pounds.

Cold Calling which can see an increase in door step crime is designed to empower residents to have more control who calls at their properties and would be a welcomed safe guard for particularly the vulnerable and elderly. Should the scheme get the go ahead residents would get an information pack explaining the scheme and how they can act should they get any cold callers.

Robert Gardner, Trading Standards Manager at Lambeth Council has said of the scheme: “This scheme sends out a warning to the rip-off merchants that they are not welcome in the neighbourhood, and that they are being watched. The best you can say about most cold callers is that they are a nuisance. At worst they can be criminals and rogue traders who prey on the vulnerable. If there is clear support from the neighbourhood for a No Cold Calling Zone in the area we will roll it out”