THERE have been calls to ban cold calling in Worsthorne.

Fed-up residents have recently voiced their anger at being disturbed by knocks on their doors by charity workers and salespeople.

They now want the No Cold Calling Zone, currently in place in most of the Pike Hill area, extended to cover Worsthorne.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Writing on the Worsthorne Appreciation Association’s official Facebook page, well-known local businesswoman Janis Chisnall said: “Is there anyway we could make Worsthorne like Pike Hill and have it no cold calling.

“It’s unbelievable how many people knock at your door when you are out.

“I had two different lots of people asking for donations today.”

Conservative councillor for the area, David Heginbotham, said he was “dead against” cold calling, and would look at taking up the residents’ case.

He said: “I agree with the residents entirely. People should not be inconvenienced by knocks on the door by people selling things.

“The best way to sell products is by opening a shop in the area and to advertise it.

“Cold calling is an inconvenience and some people don’t like opening the door to strangers.

“A cold calling zone wants doing, it really does, all the way around Worsthorne because there are a lot of elderly people in the area.”

Trading Standards allows residents to set up cold calling control zones, which it said was “quite simply about local communities having the confidence to say ‘no’ to uninvited salespeople or to warn rogue traders and cold callers that they are being watched”.

A spokesman said: “Hundreds of zones are now operating successfully across the UK with reports of significant crime reduction and a greater feeling of security amongst residents.”

There are two types of zones, one with a outright ban on cold calling, and one where residents can opt out by using door stickers to make their wishes clear.

In both cases, the zone area is defined by notices on lampposts and walls.

The zones are not enforceable by law.

A Trading Standards spokesman said: “One way of doing this is to give residents small cards to hand to any caller explaining they are in a no cold calling zone.

“The advantage of doing it like this is that it is less confrontational.”