Neighbours keep watch for rogue traders
| Published: 23rd June 2008 22:47 |
Thieves and rogue traders who prey on elderly and vulnerable people are to be targeted themselves in a new Neighbourhood Watch project in Wickford. "This is not just about reducing crime but it also aims to improve the quality of life for residents who might be at risk and it will help make them feel safer," Geoff Whiter Neighbourhood Watch Steering Group.
Residents in one street in the town are joining forces to keep watch for the villains and report to police or trading standards officers whenever problems arise.
More than 100 people have joined the project to launch the first No Cold Calling Zone (NCCZ)where residents will be warned of the dangers and told how to take action.
Organisers are putting the finishing touches to the scheme which will be piloted in Wickford before being launched in other parts of the town and also in Billericay.
There are also plans to launch similar NCCZs in other areas of Basildon and Thurrock districts where there are concentrations of elderly or vulnerable residents living in a small, easily guarded area.
Geoff Whiter, chairman of the steering group for Neighbourhood Watch in the Basildon council district, said: "The whole idea of this project is to stop rogue traders and thieves from calling door to door.
"The thieves will knock on doors and give a cock and bull story about being from the gas board or water board while at the same time looking for someone to steal from.
"The rogue traders are the sort of people who turn up and offer to do building work or house repairs but at hugely inflated prices. They see the elderly as a soft touch. But people living in the NCCZ will be told how these crooks operate and how by working together we can report them and identify them."
By Bill Stock
Community Comment:
Add your comment:
You will need to sign in to post a comment to this article. if you do not have an AboutMyArea account, you can join now for free.
