Press releases

Operation cuts doorstep crime

Street pensioners have escaped the attentions of con artists thanks to a successful new scheme. The pilot scheme has been hailed as a great success with no reported cases of distraction burglaries since it began.

Last year, PC Andy Leafe spearheaded an initiative to halt the rise in distraction burglaries in the Street area.

He proposed that Street be made a no cold-calling zone, effectively stopping anyone from receiving an unexpected visitor, who could be distracting them on the doorstep while someone else slips in through a back door to steal.

While in other parts of the UK, roads or Neighbourhood Watch areas had been designated no cold-calling, it was the first time a whole community had been zoned.

Operation Fox was launched in the summer of 2007, with residents being encouraged to dial 999 if they saw anyone making house-to-house calls.

By quoting Operation Fox, police officers were immediately called, as a priority, to the area.

The scheme has been hailed a success and a proposal is being put forward to make it permanent.

Sgt Mark Edgington revealed that last month, on one afternoon, they received seven calls.

"A group of people, not local, landed in Street attempting to sell cleaning products door to door," he said.

"We managed to stop three people. I am very pleased with how this worked. Within minutes we stopped these cold-callers."

PC Leafe said: "Police have responded to every call in relation to doorstep callers and this has resulted in one arrest.

"But, of most importance, no resident of Street has reported being a victim of a distraction burglary or a rogue trader since the scheme started.

"Wells sector's Insp Ray Hulin has prioritised that this scheme must be launched across other towns and villages in the Mendips, turning the region into the first no-calling one of its kind."

This month police will be meeting with the other agencies involved in Operation Fox to discuss the next step.

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