A Widnes man has reported a suspicious caller who knocked at his door last week. The caller was a young man in his late teens or early twenties.

He was trying to sell household items, claiming that he was an ex-offender and was on a rehabilitation scheme.

The Widnes resident asked for his ID and the caller provided his driving license.

The resident was still wary and so he contacted the Probation Service the caller claimed to be with (Middlesborough). The Probation Service said the caller was bogus, the story was fabricated and they had received other similar reports.

Halton Borough Council Trading Standards Officers advise, avoid being caught out by other doorstep rogues by refusing to deal with people who cold-call you.

You can get a free No Cold Calling Card and Letterbox Sticker from any Halton Direct Link.

Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Trading Standards, Cllr Dave Cargill, said: “If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a fraud please contact one of our specialist officers, Linda or Sue on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775, who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.”

If you need advice on anything else please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 03454 04 05 06