Help the Police to locate Nottingham Knockers operating across Warwickshire

NHW SA We need your help to locate Nottingham Knockers operating across Warwickshire

Following our message of last week warning residents about rogue door-step callers or Pedlars, Warwickshire Police have gathered more information regarding the individuals believed to be involved. There is also a very robust operation in place to deal with these pedlars when they appear in the county but we need your help to locate them.

The individuals calling themselves 'Nottingham Knockers' who are operating across the county are an organised travelling band of known criminals who have numerous offences and convictions between them.

They are targetting the homes of the elderly and the vulnerable across Warwickshire and neighbouring counties selling inferior household products such as cloths and dusters.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Any member of the public selling door to door needs a pedlars licence. These licences or certificates are issued by the Chief Constable of the pedlars home county, are valid for a 12 month period and allow the pedlars to operate anywhere in the country. If the caller on your doorstep does not produce a pedlars certificate then they should not be selling goods and are probably up to no good!

Some pedlars have produced an A4 laminated card with their picture on it and will tell you that the law requiring them to have a Chief Constable issued pedlars certificate has been repealed and they no longer need a licence/ certificate. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

The documents they produce may have Connexions or Probation Department on them and again, these are not the required document that they should be using.

We need you to call 101 or 01926 415000 to tell us where these pedlars are operating. We will then endeavour to send out Police Officers to question the pedlars and to examine certificates. If an offence is believed to have been committed the pedlars can be arrested or reported if necessary.

Once word goes around that Warwickshire is 'hot' on checking pedlars and their documentation, the pedlars will go elsewhere and leave the elderly and vulnerable residents of Warwickshire in peace.

 Please follow this LINK to a document containing examples of pedlars certificates.

REMEMBER: Help us to help you - Call 101 to report their whereabouts or 999 if you believe that a crime is in progress.

Thankyou

Julie Dale
Watch Co-ordinator
Community Protection