Aggressive rogue 'cold callers' are targeting elderly people in Dartmouth – banging on their doors as late as 10pm at night.

Now some householders in the Townstal area of the town are becoming too frightened to answer their own front doors, revealed town councillor Felicity Smith.

The police have been involved and now Dartmouth's MP Sarah Wollaston has suggested making the area a 'no cold calling zone' to keep the cold callers out.

Cllr Smith said: 'There is a problem with aggressive salesmen who are targeting elderly residents any time between 9pm and 10pm regardless of whether they have signs outside saying no callers.

'Even when they are told to go away they just go down the road and five minutes later they are back knocking on the same door.'

She said the problem had materialised over the last four to six weeks particularly in the Seymour Drive, Archway Drive, Churchfields and Pathfields areas.

'Some of the elderly ones are now quite frightened of going to their front doors,' she said.

Cllr Smith raised the concerns at the meeting of the Townstal Community Partnership meeting where she appealed for people who have been the victims of aggressive cold calling in Dartmouth to contact her.

She added: 'We want to hear from people who have suffered these cold callers so we can collate the information.

'I have spoken to the police and they are going to pass it on with the idea of hopefully doing some patrols in that area.'

She said she had also been in contact with Dr Wollaston who had passed on details of how to designate an area a 'no calling zone'.

The no calling zone was launched as a pilot project in Tunbridge Wells in 2006 and there are now 450 nationally – set up as a community safety initiative to try to reduce the likelihood of the elderly and vulnerable becoming victims of rogue traders.

The zone is designated with signs and residents are given telephone numbers to ring if they are concerned about anyone knocking on their doors.

The scheme is aimed at deterring cold callers and encouraging legitimate callers to make pre-arranged appointments or follow a National Cold Calling Protocol.

Cllr Smith said once she had been able to collate all the evidence involving rogue cold callers in the area she would be able to contact Dr Wollaston to sort out how to set up a zone.

Telephone her on 01803 839403 or email felicity1.smith@btinter net.com.