Warning of ‘menacing’ cold callers

TURN UP IN CARS

A YOUNG mum has warned about a “menacing” group of cold callers who tried to pressure her into letting them into her house.

Olivia Burke was at home with her four-month-old son, in Outlands Drive, Hinckley, when she had a knock at the door from a salesman claiming to be from an energy saving company, on November 29, at around 1pm.

He said his firm had been given a government grant to improve houses with an energy efficiency rating below C, as all newly rented properties must have a rating of C or above by 2025. The man wanted to drill a hole into the house’s mortar to see if it had cavity wall insulation.

The 23-year-old mum agreed and at around 3pm, another man came to drill the hole in the side of the semidetached home. He said the property did not have the insulation and offered to do a survey of all the rooms in the house, to measure them up and assess the ventilation.

Ms Burke said she would need time to think about it, and asked for a call back. At around 5.30pm, the group called and Ms Burke wasn’t able to answer, and the second man returned to the property five minutes later, along with three other men in an unmarked car, who parked across her drive.

She told him she didn’t want the inspection and he became very persistent, saying they could do the inspection while she wasn’t at home.

He also looked back to the other men, who had got out of the car and were looking towards the house, while leaning on the car and smoking.

Ms Burke said: “They seemed like boy racers in a car park.

“It was very anti-social, the way they were behaving. It was very intimidating.

“I’m 23, I can’t imagine what it would be like for an elderly couple.

“It was getting dark as well. It just seemed very menacing.”

The men finally accepted she didn’t want the survey and went back to the car, where they waited for the next 25 minutes, looking at Ms Burke’s property.

A second car pulled up, with three other men, and the two vehicles moved along further down the street, before moving on. All the men were wearing hi-vis jackets, some had lanyards, and Ms Burke said one of them had a Stoke accent. She reported the incident to the police.

A force spokesman said: “A report was received of door-to-door salesmen working in Outlands Drive, Hinckley.

“The person making the report stated she had felt pressured. A Pcso visited the address during the evening to provide words of advice. The salesmen had left the area.

“We would like to remind residents they are entitled to ask anyone selling items door-to-door for appropriate identification and we would encourage residents to pass this information on to any elderly or vulnerable family members, friends or neighbours.”

If you have any information or you were approached by a similar group of men, contact Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.

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