DOORSTEP sellers are being told in no uncertain terms that they are not welcome as the campaign to stamp them out goes to a new level.

A concerted effort is being launched to get stickers placed in every home across North Yorkshire as part of National Consumer Week.

The county's trading standards department is working with supermarkets and other stores to distribute the stickers to as many householders as possible.

They hope the no-nonsense message they bear - Beware, You Are Not Welcome Here - will discourage dodgy dealers.

Councillor Carl Les, the county's executive member for trading standards, said: "Nearly every day, trading standards receives a complaint about some type of doorstep seller.

"We have evidence that householders throughout the county are being ripped off by such people. These stickers are an excellent deterrent to doorstep callers and I would urge everyone to display one.

"I would also encourage anyone with any doubts about doorstep callers to ring the number on the sticker, 0845 330-3313, to report them to the trading standards service.

"Our officers will respond immediately if the trader is still in the area and can also alert organisations such as the police and Neighbourhood Watch to their presence."

Incidents involving doorstep selling continue to rise in both number and severity, despite major efforts to raise public awareness. Older and more vulnerable residents are particularly at risk.

Doorstep sellers offering to carry out home repairs, such as guttering, drive tarmacing, paving or gardening, or selling items such as furniture and power tools, are a constant source of complaint to trading standards. Householders can find themselves being charged more than they were quoted and for very poor quality work, and can even be threatened or subjected to high pressure sales techniques.

Stickers are available at all branches of Boyes, the Co-op, Costcutters, Jacksons, Kwik Save, Morrisons, Proudfoot, Quality Fayre, Safeway, Sainsbury, Somerfield, Spar, Tesco and Waitrose, and from Bells, Great Ayton; Brompton Stores, in Northallerton; Campbell and Sons, Leyburn; K and L Davison, Malton; Ken Warne, Richmond; Mills Newsagent, Harrogate; Nisa, Easingwold; and Value 4 You, Scarborough.