Fed up with being disturbed by unwanted doorstep callers?

Call into any Halton Direct Link for a free ‘no cold calling’ card and letterbox sticker.

Halton Council trading standards officers have produced the cards and stickers because for some people uninvited callers are more than a nuisance.

Some of Halton’s scouts and brownies including 12th St Luke’s Brownies and Farnworth Explorers helped by cutting up thousands of letterbox stickers.

Rogue traders will often work door- to-door and they may use high pressure tactics to get you to part with money for something that you don’t want or need, something that is misdescribed or dangerous or they may charge you for work in your home or garden that they simply don’t complete.

Halton Cllr Dave Cargill, board member for trading standards, said: "Rogues will not provide you with the correct paperwork and often the only contact details they will give you will be a mobile number and you will be unable to pursue them for a refund or repair.

"Some distraction burglars will pretend to be an official of the council or a utility company to gain access to your home."

If you display one of the cards or stickers and a seller knocks at your door anyway then ask the seller who they are working for and then politely close the door.

Let Halton Council trading standards know by reporting the seller to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

If you are visited by anybody pretending to be from the council on 0303 333 4300.