Man fined for illegal door to door selling

By Ben Fitzgerald - 25 April 2018

Crime

A man has been fined £280 and ordered to pay court costs after pleading guilty to peddling without a licence in Keevil and West Tockenham.

Police were alerted to Robert Fearn going door-to-door in the two villages on 1 February and 28 February 2018 and trying to sell cleaning products.

He was spoken to by an officer and admitted not having a pedlar's certificate.

The 53-year-old, from Nottinghamshire, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court yesterday (24 April 2018) and pleaded guilty to two counts of acting as a pedlar without a pedlar's certificate.

PCSO Andrew MacLachlan, from Wiltshire West Community Policing Team, said: "These types of offenders are often referred to as "Nottingham Knockers" and we know from experience that they often target those who are more vulnerable, such as the elderly.

"We know that they cause a nuisance for residents and can often come across as aggressive and persistent, making it difficult for people to say no to the items they are trying to sell.

"We hope this prosecution and sentence shows that police will take action and we urge people to always report suspicious activity to us so we can do something about it."

Wiltshire Police want to remind people that they are under no obligation to answer the door to cold callers and that people who do sell door-to-door should be able to provide a valid pedlar's certificate and should leave the property when asked.

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