Doorstep crime halved in Rochdale Borough

Efforts to tackle the menace of doorstep crime in Rochdale borough are paying off, with incidents more than halved in the last year.

The Doorstep Crime Action Group celebrates its second birthday this November and recent statistics from Greater Manchester Police have revealed a 59% fall in incidents reported in the Borough.

Between July and September 2005, there were 32 reports in the borough. In the same three months this year, there were just 13 reports.

Lead Member for Community Safety, Councillor Ted Flynn said: "Doorstep crime will often target elderly and vulnerable people, but simple steps such as being alert to the danger, being willing to say no, and if necessary keeping doorstep callers away clearly can have a huge impact. This is great news for residents."

One example of the successful work of the group has been in Alkrington, Middleton. An extensive programme of traffic calming has been carried out on the estate, and in other areas where such work has happened, bogus callers use this as an opportunity to target vulnerable residents.

The Action Group delivered leaflets throughout the estate, to keep residents aware of the threat posed by unwanted callers. As a result the anticipated number of calls has not happened.