RESIDENTS are being urged to be vigilant by police after a spate of aggressive cold callers in Northwich and its surrounding areas.

Over the past month, the force has received reports of people knocking on doors and attempting to sell household items to them in an aggressive manner.

The cold callers claim to be ex-offenders who are trying to turn their lives around, and are known to have resorted to swearing, spitting on residents’ windows and cars and making threats against pets when failing to secure a sale.

Northwich is one of those areas being affected alongside Norley, Warrington and Runcorn.

Eight cold caller incidents alone were reported in Runcorn on Tuesday, October 15, with three occurring in Lymm a day earlier.

One of those incidents in Lymm involved a white man, estimated to be in his late 20s and around 6 foot tall.

He had brown hair, a lazy eye, freckles and was wearing a blue and black ski jacket.

Enquiries in relation to the incidents are ongoing and the force is appealing for anyone with information regarding the man, or any other cold caller operating without a pedlar’s certificate, to get in touch.

Residents are asked to report any incidents of cold callers trying to sell them items without the required door-to-door trade certificate, particularly if the offender acts in an aggressive or threatening manner.

Residents are also urged to not allow themselves to be pressured into buying items from cold callers.

Detective Chief Inspector Justin Hancock, of Cheshire Constabulary’s Force Intelligence Bureau, said: “We work alongside Trading Standards to prevent people from selling items door-to-door without the required licence.

“The public also has a crucial role to play by reporting such cold callers to us on 101, or via cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries.

“We have had a number of reports of cold callers acting in an aggressive manner over the past month.

“If you are targeted at your home please follow the force’s advice regarding cold callers.”

The force’s advice for residents targeted by cold callers is:

• Do not open your door to strangers – you should use your door chain, if you have one, when answering the door.

• If you do not have a door chain, ask the caller who they are through the door before opening it – if you do not know them and are not expecting them, do not open the door.

• If a cold caller tries to sell you something, ask to see their pedlar’s certificate – if they do not have one, they are breaking the law by selling items door-to-door.

• Report doorstep sellers operating without a pedlar’s certificate to Trading Standards and also to the police, particularly if the cold caller acts in an aggressive or threatening manner.

• If you do not want to buy items from a cold caller, simply tell them that and go back into your house – never let yourself be pressured into buying something that you do not want and never let a cold caller into your home.