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Residents have been targeted by aggressive foul-mouthed door-to-door young salesmen pretending to be recently released from prison and asking for money.
Callington Police has issued a warning to local people following several reports of the practice in the area.
On a post on its Facebook page, a spokesperson for Callington Police said they have received reports recently of young men going door to door trying to sell various items out of a bag, claiming they have recently been released from prison.
They added: “This is a common technique and although predominantly polite we have received reports that residents have been met with vile language and aggression when refusing to buy anything.
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“If you do receive a visit from them, we advise you to not answer the door. However if you do, politely decline to buy anything and close the door. You have every right to not feel intimidated into buying items from them.
“If you experience any issues please call us on 101 with as much detail as you can pass, such as direction of travel, clothing, identification and any vehicle registration numbers you can safely see. If you feel immediately threatened by them, or they display aggression towards you and will not leave, please call 999.
“As always we would advise residents to make sure their house is secure, front and back, before answering any doors and if you don’t recognise the person, to consider only speaking to them through a closed, locked door, if at all.”
In the comment section below the post several people have shared their own experience of such men saying they have been released from jail and need cash.
One resident said: “Think prisoners are released with a few quid and nowhere to live. But intimidating innocent people is awful and there’s no excuse for it.”
Another added: “This young man came to my door and showed me a card I seen something about prison on it but I said not now thank you but it left me a little worried as I live on my own but I had my granddaughter on the phone and did not look at my ring doorbell.”
Another resident said they had such visit back in the summer, adding: “It started off politely enough, but when I said thanks but no thanks his mood changed like someone flicked of a switch.”
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