Following a spate of recent break-ins in Billington, Cllr Ged Mirfin, who represents the Ward and Cty Cllr Alan Schofield who represents Ribble Valley South West in whose Area Billington falls have negotiated with Lancashire County Council a village wide consultation for the establishment of one of the largest No Cold Calling Control Zones Zones in the country following calls from local residents who believe that thieves masquerading as Doorstep Sales People were deliberately spying on their houses to identify potential targets when occupiers were out or at work.

Uninvited sales people and may turn up unannounced, with the intention of tricking their way into your home or carrying out a reconnoiter of your premises prior to breaking in at a later date.
Many councils have designated certain areas as ‘Cold Calling Control Zones’ (NCCZs) or ‘No Cold Calling Zones’ (NCCZs)

NCCZs are initiatives that are intended to protect residents from bogus doorstep callers. Cold Calling Control Zones are areas which are considered to be vulnerable to doorstep crime and where residents have, collectively, stated that they do not want cold callers. The purpose of the scheme is to empower residents, and to encourage them to work as an entire community and increase the reporting of related crimes and incidents.

The main aim of the zones is to prevent incidents of doorstep crime, raise awareness of the activities of rogue traders who target vulnerable people, and give residents the confidence to say NO to uninvited callers as a community. Therefore, reducing levels and fear of crime in the allocated areas.

Ribble Valley Borough Councillor Ged Mirfin states, "Following the retreat from rural policing under the Leadership of Jeremy Corbyn's Police & Crime Commissioner in Lancashire, Clive Grunshaw, Conservative controlled Lancashire County Council is providing access to an innovative crime prevention measure which will provide a strong message to criminals that they are not welcome here."

Lancashire County Councillor Alan Schofield states, "There was massive demand across the village for this crime prevention measure which will allow residents to send a powerful message to unwanted door-step traders up to no good that they should not come here and if they do they will be reported with alacrity."

Both Councillors hope that over 50% of residents will support the scheme to introduce this valuable community measure when envelopes containing the letter below start landing on their door mats through the letter box.