| Around 4,500 local people have signed the petition supporting "Isobel's Law" that I presented to Parliament.
I am grateful to local residents, neighbourhood watches, churches and older person's groups that have rallied behind the call to ban doorstep cold calling for property services.
The campaign has been called "Isobel's Law" after Miss Isobel Gray, an 82-year-old Leeds citizen who was brutally murdered by intruders seeking cash she kept in her home. Her back was broken, and she was left to choke to death. They were believed to be connected with bogus property repairers who had systematically targeted Isobel on several occasions.
Our main objective is to achieve a ban on doorstep cold calling for the purposes of offering property related services.
The campaign so far has included a Private Member's Bill, parliamentary questions, several debates in the House, my Early Day Motion signed by over 100 MPs, and meetings with Ministers. The Department of Trade and Industry has just completed a consultation on measures to combat cold calling, including the ban.
While the ban remains our major priority, we have also raised the need for other measures to combat criminal and unscrupulous cold calling. Our target are those who cold call either to distract vulnerable people then to rob them, or who use hard sell methods to persuade people to part with items they either don't need, or which are grossly overpriced.
We need utility companies to adopt a cold-calling protocol that means their staff do not call without an appointment or easily verifiable identity. We also want to see the promotion of lists of "approved traders", who have shown they can deal sensitively with vulnerable people and do a good job for a fair price.
I became involved in the campaign against doorstep crime and cold calling following scams affecting my constituents several years ago.
I have worked closely with Brian Steele, a former constituent, and one of the country's leading authorities on doorstep crime.
As a Detective Chief Superintendent, Brian led the investigation into Isobel Gray's death. He has undertaken extensive research into doorstep crime, including interviews with criminals. Brian and I joined forces several years ago to secure a £500,000 Home Office grant to set up the Leeds Distraction Burglary Project.
The campaign is also backed by retired Chief Inspector Mick Grubb QPM, Chairman of Horsforth Town Council, who developed extensive professional knowledge of doorstep crime.
Last summer, in collaboration with the Trading Standards Institute, we launched the campaign with representatives from the North of England Trading Standards Group, Victim Support, Help the Aged, Age Concern, the Federation of Master Builders, and senior police officers engaged in operations against distraction burglars and bogus property repairers.
I must also pay tribute to Stuart Pudney, Head of Trading Standards in North Yorkshire, who has played a crucial part in the campaign at every stage.
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