Dear Editor,

How many of your readers have young men (it always seems to be men) ringing their door bell, presenting a card and announcing themselves as former prisoners who are trying to get back on the straight and narrow and are selling (overpriced) household goods door to door?

This happens from time to time when we get one (and occasionally two or even three in a short period), followed by a pause of several months when another turns up as happened to us again last Friday.

Either these are scams, which I believe do exist, in which case they should be tackled. Or they are genuine in which case can I strongly suggest that those responsible should radically rethink their strategy? There are only so many overpriced household dusters that one needs and this means we have to answer the door each time and politely refuse.

Perhaps the idea is to get the individuals used to a hard grind with little or no result. Aside from the, very dubious, merits of that, it is trespassing on the good nature of the citizens of Ross and is only likely to be effective with newcomers or the elderly and vulnerable which seems to me to be a very bad idea.

Does anyone have any information on these schemes and is anyone in authority willing at least to try to do something?

Derek Haselden

Ross