RESIDENTS are being called upon to support elderly and vulnerable friends, family, and neighbours after reports of cold calling and possible scams in Bromsgrove.

After receiving reports from areas with known vulnerable or elderly residents, the council are encouraging more people to be part of the Nominated Neighbour scheme which deters scam callers, who will not want to have their identity to be checked.

Nominated Neighbour uses bright yellow window stickers to show potential house callers that they will only be seen if accompanied by a known and trusted person, after their identity has been verified by that other person.

Cllr Margaret Sherrey, Bromsgrove District Council’s portfolio holder for community safety, said: “Some con artists and rogue traders will knock on doors to see if they can bamboozle someone, often leaving the householder out of pocket and shaken up.

“These criminals are the lowest of the low, preying on vulnerable people.”