Hawker out and about

Fri 7 Oct 2022, 11:49

In essence, they are not legitimate. Don’t open your door to them, and to quote the Police:

 If they are in your area, please call the police immediately on 101 with a description of them & any associated vehicle they may be using.

Fri 7 Oct 2022, 10:12

There's some useful information here:

https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/personal-fraud/door-to-door-courier-fraud/

Thu 6 Oct 2022, 23:15

Thanks for telling me about the Nottingham Knockers Christine: having read the article I am now very nervous about being on a list, so will have to be super vigilant about security from now on!

Thu 6 Oct 2022, 18:23

Thank you for link Christine, and that's awful Anne.. 

Thu 6 Oct 2022, 15:26

Horrid story, Anne. Thanks for the warning.

But there's nothing very new about hawkers with this backstory coming to Charlbury. They used to come to my house fairly regularly, but I stopped buying anything at all after verbal threats a few years ago, and I seem to have been crossed off the list of properties to visit. (I hope so, anyway.)

Thames Valley Police issues regular warnings about these so-called "Nottingham Knockers". The advice is here: https://www.thamehub.co.uk/thames-valley-police-issue-nottingham-knocker-advice/

Thu 6 Oct 2022, 11:22

He knocked on my door whilst I was in the middle of a Teams work meeting, and showed me some sort of 'official status' on a lanyard around his neck, saying he was with some sort of ex-military charity and had come down from Tyneside. As I did not have my glasses on and was very distracted, I foolishly agreed to buy something, a cheap cloth. However, when I went back out this morning I discovered that I had an addition 'gift': he had used the area to the right of my front door as a toilet, left a substantial deposit and then used some of his other cloths as loo roll and then left those under my rose bush. 

So beware and my take away lesson is to be much more careful in future, and to feel rather concerned about how our quiet corner is suddenly becoming a target to be exploited.

Wed 5 Oct 2022, 11:52

 'Hawker' ex convict story etc knocking on doors this morning.