Thanks to the vigilance of Roger Lithgow, one of our dedicated Community Wardens, a recent incident in Sturry has highlighted the importance of staying alert to doorstep scams.
At a local church coffee morning, a resident shared concerns about workmen she had hired after approaching them in the street. She later suspected she had been scammed. With her permission, Roger followed up at the next coffee morning and began door-knocking in the area with fellow Warden Keeley Taylor.
Their visits uncovered that the same workmen had offered block paving to another resident. The original resident had paid £675 in cash for UPVC cleaning after being cold-called. The workmen used an unmarked black pick-up and did not provide cancellation rights, a legal requirement.
Roger and Keeley offered advice to residents:
✔️ Always get multiple quotes before agreeing to work.
✔️ Say NO to cold callers.
✔️ If you feel threatened or pressured, call 999.
✔️ Cold callers must provide written cancellation terms, it’s the law.
If you need a safe, local trader use Trading Standards Checked
Let’s keep our communities informed and safe. Community Wardens help make stronger, safer communities. Find your local warden today.