Some parts of Acle are now No Cold Calling Zones. Norfolk County Council Trading Standards have put up signs at all entrances to the relevant roads.

Hopefully you have received a welcome pack from Norfolk County Council which explains that the Zone is to discourage cold callers from calling uninvited at your door. Obviously the decision to accept cold callers is yours to make but, for many people, they are unwelcome and for a few they can be distressing.

There have been a few reports recently of salesmen calling at homes in the village, uninvited. They have said that they didn’t know about the Zone but then are believed to have called at more houses.

If this happens to you, please make a note of the company they claim to be working for, and phone Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or via their website. This information will then be sent out to parish clerks in the area and to those who have signed up to alerts about scams and cold calling from: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/scams

There is no law preventing cold calling.  However, by law, you have 14 days to cancel contracts signed at home or at your place of work for works costing more than £42.  The trader must give you a cancellation notice, allowing a 14-day cooling off period.  It’s a criminal offence if they don’t do this and Trading Standards may be able to take enforcement action.