Too many canvassers in Town Centre

HUGH ROBERTSON WRITES TO HOME SECRETARY ABOUT PROBLEM OF STREET CANVASSERS IN MAIDSTONE

Hugh Robertson has today written to the Home Secretary about the problem of street canvassers in Maidstone. This follows a request from Maidstone Borough Council for help with the problem.

Hugh does not wish to see the activity banned but would like to see the local authority given power to regulate the number of canvassers - possibly via a license.

The issue has occurred because large teams of canvassers force shoppers to sign up to a variety of causes or commercial opportunities. It is undermining attempts to make the town centre an attractive venue for shoppers and is holding back public and private sector investment.

Hugh Robertson said: "I have had a large number of complaints from constituents prior to receiving a formal request for help from Maidstone Borough Council. Many constituents, particularly the elderly, claim they feel intimidated by large numbers of canvassers.

"I have also had an experience recently where I replied to all those who had signed a petition gathered in Maidstone Town Centre. A number of people contacted me subsequently to say that they had only signed to get the canvassers to go away. They had no intention of supporting the views expressed in the petition.

"Quite apart from the irritation factor, I am also now told by Maidstone Borough Council that it is a bar to Public and Private Sector investment in the town.

"It would be wrong to ban the activity altogether but it has now reached a scale where some form of regulation is necessary."