Kenton is one of a number of neighbourhoods across the city that has been designated as a No Cold Calling Zone. Others include parts of Walker and Byker, Jesmond and Fenham.
The main aim of the zones is to prevent incidents of doorstep crime, raise awareness of the activities of rogue traders who target vulnerable people, and give local residents the confidence to say NO to uninvited callers as a community. In summary, reducing the level and fear of low-level crime.
Residents are doing the right thing in challenging callers. Cold calling is a banned practice under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 to ”Conduct personal visits to the consumer’s home ignoring the consumer’s request to leave.” The law forbids cold callers to knock at a property that is clearly displaying a Cold Calling Control Sticker or any other signage asking cold callers not to knock.
Given reported cases of cold callers flouting the rules on Montagu Estate the Council’s Trading Standards Team are liaising with the neighbourhood police team making them aware that this activity is happening in the area. Residents can obtain replacement stickers by contacting tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk.
