A BUSINESSWOMAN has warned other company bosses to be alert after a cold caller claiming to be a bailiff attempted to con her out of £2,500.

Danielle Louise Martin, owner of Danni’s Diamond Dogs groomers in Darwen, said she was left panic-stricken after receiving the threatening call from a man claiming to be retrieving a £2,520 advertising debt.

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Miss Martin said the man used threatening language and said he was on his way to her business in Bridge Street to take property to the value of the alleged debt.

Police said they are investigating the incident, which happened at around 2pm on Friday.

Miss Martin said: “He told me he was a bailiff and and that I had placed an advert costing £2,520. He wouldn’t say what advert it was or what company it was with.

“He just said it was £199 per month, which is way more than we pay for the advertising we do in the Yellow Pages. But I thought it might had been something that I had done thinking it was a one-off payment.

“He turned around and said the word I used as my password and said did it mean anything to me? I don’t know he got that. He was very abrupt and very nasty.

“He said if I paid up within ten minutes he would knock 30 per cent off. I told him I would have to go away and talk to my solicitor but he said he was in the area and was on his way around to collect property from the shop to cover the debt.

“At that point I put the phone down and called my fiancé, Mark. I was in a right state. He called the police and I went around to see my solicitor. Whilst I was out the man called back and spoke to Mark. He said unless I called him back he would physically attack me. We waited all afternoon but he never came around.

“This has left me terrified. I’m on edge every time the phone rings and I keep thinking he’s going to come around.

“We’re a small dog grooming business and we couldn’t afford to pay that kind of money.

“I just want to warn other business owners in the area to be wary of this guy.”

Miss Martin said her solicitor had rung the number the call came from numerous times but was unable to get a response.