Magazine feature for our MD

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 11:32:51 GMT

Cotswold Life feature our MD Kay Clifton in their March 2020 edition for a piece on 'Women in Business'

With International Women's Day falling in March this year, Cotswold Life approached our MD Kay Cliton to be featured in a piece they were running about women in business throughtout the Cotswold's. Pick up a copy on today or view on line here: https://www.cotswoldlife.co.uk/

ARCO innovation awards 2019

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The QR Patrol and My Lone Worker solutions that is distributed by Securisoft and PLM Group in the UK was recently shortlisted for the ARCO innovation award 2019 .

A specialist agency identified 36 start-ups who went through a detailed assessment and were scored on their ability to execute their plan, their market positioning, commercial trend, technology and execution and their market appetite for the solution put forward.

The QR Patrol scored at the top among the first 5 shortlisted. The shortlisted finalists then presented their innovations to a carefully selected panel of judges in London back in January 2020.

Please find out more about the award here: https://www.arco.co.uk/innovationaward

To find out more about QR Patrol and MyLoneWorker click here: qrpatrol.co.uk

Doorstep Pedlars - Nottingham Knockers

Wed, 08 May 2019 10:13:43 GMT

What/Who are Doorstep Pedlars , Nottingham Knockers?

They are doorstep callers who target areas offering small household products for sale. These callers may claim to be ex-convicts attempting to mend their ways, however they are not part of any recognised rehabilitation scheme.

Please warn your neighbours, particularly elderly or vulnerable neighbours, not to open the door to strangers or buy or sell on the doorstep. Some doorstep callers may offer poor quality goods at inflated prices and if a caller is not genuine, they may be gathering information for future crime.

Please keep in mind that if cold callers don’t get any sales in your area, they are less likely to return.

How they work

The sellers may say that they are on a “rehabilitation course” arranged by probation services or other organisations trying to find people work. This is not the case and often they are known criminals. Probation services do not run such schemes.

They may show a card which claims to be a “Pedlars Licence” or work permit. The example above is one that has been frequently seized by the police. This is not valid and they are breaking the law if they are using anything like this.

They may also hand over a card saying they are deaf or dumb.

According to the police, the bag of household products is supplied by someone who employs them. The lads are supplied with a full bag of household products (including the typical tea-towels!) and charged a minimal sum for the contents – it used to be £35. They can keep whatever they make, above this amount.

Usually they are deposited in an area from a transit van and given a list of streets to work. An hour or so later they are picked up and dropped off in another location. They often work from 9am to 9pm.

They will knock on a door, offering cleaning items which they know are cheap and of very poor quality; the householder also knows they are rubbish but that is part of the scam. Many people will purchase items and pay them something, just to get rid of them. There have been cases of elderly residents handing over large sums as these lads can be very persistent and confrontational.

The price for whatever has been purchased usually comes to a note – usually £10. The householder disappears to get this – this is when the scam begins, according to the police. When the note is handed over, the lad examines the condition and how long it took the person to get it. If it is crumpled, they accept it and move on. If it is crisp flat and new – they are much more interested and may engage the person in more conversation, to obtain details about them. As they leave they will smell the note. If it is slightly musty – this is an indication that there is more in the property. Those addresses are noted. The addresses of elderly / vulnerable / gullible people are all noted.

These are handed to the employer and there is a small amount of cash handed over for each one.

These addresses are then sold in prisons and pubs. If there is a later break-in, the employer expects a further cut of the proceeds.

Police advise that in almost every case of a stop check – the lads have long strings of convictions for burglary and violence. They use the skills learnt during their criminal activity to identify possible targets.

TURN THEM AWAY

R EMEMBER if cold callers don’t get any sales in your area, they are less likely to return.

This information has been provided by https://www.safelocaltrades.com/consumers/advice/doorstep-pedlars

Welcome to our new website

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 15:28:00 GMT

We have finally finished our new site.... Any feedback is welcome!