RESIDENTS are being urged to back a trading standards campaign to get cold callers banned.

The county-wide move follows a survey of more than 2,000 households across North Yorkshire recording people's views and experiences of cold calling and doorstep sales people.

Almost 98 per cent of those surveyed were against strangers cold calling at their homes.

Ten per cent said they had suffered a bad experience involving doorstep sellers over the past two years.

Stuart Pudney, head of trading standards and regulatory services for North Yorkshire County Council, said: "Our survey shows that people are not only irritated by cold calling there are times when they are handing over significant amounts of money to unscrupulous criminals who are passing themselves off as roofers, gardeners and people working in the property improvement businesses.

"They often leave distressed, bewildered and frightened people with little or no chance of redress.

"With the rising elderly population and increased home ownership this cold calling and doorstep sales is an area long overdue for some strict legal control.

"The public, honest businesses and enforcement authorities are unanimous in their view that it is time to take firm action and ban the cold calling of property repairs, maintenance and improvements."

The survey, which was part of a national initiative by the Trading Standards Institute, also found that only a small number of people ever asked doorstep salesmen for any form of identification.

And at least 41 per cent of the elderly population of North Yorkshire have not taken any security measures and do not have a doorchain fitted.

Mr Pudney added: "It is time to get tough - we are asking people to stop being polite and to stop giving these cold callers the time of day.

"The survey has proved that this sort of practice is no longer acceptable and so trading standards wants the public's support by slamming the door on doorstep sales."