Could This Be the End of Rogue Traders in Cornwall? New Zones Aim to Stop Cold Callers for Good

New protections for residents in St Agnes

No Cold Caller Zones are being introduced across Cornwall to help protect residents from rogue traders and other doorstep criminals.

Working alongside Cornwall’s Tri-Service Safety Officers and Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Team have launched a new No Cold Caller Zone in the Penwinnic Parc and Middlegates area of St Agnes.

Signs have been put up in the area, and residents have been given stickers to display on their doors telling cold callers to stay away. It’s the first in a new series of zones designed to deter cold callers and raise awareness of doorstep crime, including rogue trading and doorstep burglaries.

Tri-Service patrols and legal backing

The zones will be patrolled by Cornwall’s Tri-Service Safety Officers, who work in collaboration with Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, and the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

Cold calling in a designated No Cold Caller Zone is now considered an aggressive practice under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024. Offenders could face prosecution, fines, or even up to two years in prison.

📷(L-R) PCSO Emil Gabriele, Inspector Miles Topham, Gary Webster, Group Leader at Cornwall Trading Standards, Tri-Service Safety Officer Phil Graham, Cllr Pete Mitchell, Cllr Thalia Marrington and local residents George Gall and Les Donnithorne

Residents welcome the move

In a recent consultation, residents in the Penwinnic Parc and Middlegates area expressed support for the scheme. George Gall said: “We feel safer now the estate has been designated a No Cold Caller Zone. The fewer uninvited people looking for opportunities to defraud or steal from us, the better.”

More zones planned across Cornwall

Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team plan to roll out more No Cold Caller Zones across Cornwall in the coming months and will be consulting with residents in selected areas.

Councillor Thalia Marrington, Cabinet member with responsibility for Community Safety and Public Health at Cornwall Council, said: “We often receive complaints about cold callers targeting residents and pressuring them into making a purchase or agreeing to have work done.

“We know that criminals will often target vulnerable residents, especially older people. As well as losing money, victims can be left feeling embarrassed and scared to stay in their own home.

“These cases can be really heartbreaking and we need to do all we can to protect people from this type of crime.

“These zones send a very clear message that cold calling will not be tolerated and I’m looking forward to seeing them rolled across the Duchy.”