Don’t be pressurised into buying – that’s the message from police to elderly Stevenage residents who may be visited by door-to-door salesman.

A call was made to police by someone living in the Chells area of the town after they parted with a lot of money in a doorstep sale on August 28.

High priced domestic items are being sold out of holdalls, allegedly to fund work-related or educational courses.

“Selling at the door is not a crime, but we are worried that some people are being really pressurised by some of the sales tactics and have ended up parting with a lot of cash for low value items,” said PC Steve Beard.

“It is often elderly residents that are being targeted, who may not have the confidence to say no, or who may get confused about what they are agreeing to buy and then handing over more cash than they intended.

“No-one should feel like they have to buy products at the door. If anyone is concerned about a caller at their door, we would urge them to contact the police for advice.”

To contact police call the non-emergency number 101.