Haydock gets its first No Cold Calling Zone

Haydock's first No Cold Calling Zone - covering Ireland Road, Greenwell Road, Antrim Close, O'Connell Close and part of Haydock Lane - is off limits to cold callers.

The move is part of a campaign warning of the dangers of doorstep crime and uninvited cold callers. Haydock joins six other No Cold Calling Zones - at Billinge, Moss Bank, Newton-le-Willows, Sutton, Thatto Heath and the town centre.

Signs have been installed around the area and residents provided with door stickers, crime prevention advice and information alerting them to potential problems involving bogus callers, rogue traders and door to door sales people.

The aim of a No Cold Calling Zone is to empower residents to deal confidently with door step callers and know what to do if they are concerned about a caller.

In addition, the council's Safer Communities and Trading Standards teams have joined forces with Merseyside Police, the Citizens Advice Bureau and security product supplier SmartWater to support National Consumer Week (12-19 November), which this year has Cold Calling - Don't Buy it as its theme.

St Helens Council's Cabinet Member for Environmental Protection and Safer Communities Councillor Richard McCauley said: "Although distraction burglary isn't a huge problem in St Helens, as the nights get longer, winter can bring an increase in door-to-door sales, some of which might not be all they seem.

"But as well as bogus tradesmen, people should also be on their guard against seemingly innocuous callers - people claiming to have lost a ball in your garden, offering to carry out repair work or pretending to be from a charity, energy company, the council or even the police."