Knocking on doors looking for work

[Eliza72]

So frustrated but I can't work out if I'm being unreasonable!

I understand about loss of income but there is a small gardening company knocking on doors in our local area looking for cash in hand jobs. Is this the right thing to be doing when all the advice is to stay home? I know he could say that he is technically working but the manner in which he is getting the work is surely not right during these times?

Well it’s not ideal but maybe he urgently needs work in order to feed his children or keep a roof over his head.

I would actually report him to your local police, as he is putting people at risk, every time he speaks face to face with them. I understand he’s probably struggling as my own business had to close down, but he has to be realistic.

I guess I can see both sides of the argument but something about it doesn't sit right

Can’t see many people having cash to put in his hand tbh.
Depends, can’t feed his family, maybe at a distance it’s ok.
Bored and wants to top up his income. Ridiculous.

Apart from the fact that he is putting people at risk with the face to face contact, would you do business with some one who turns up your door anyway ? Corona virus or no Corona virus.
I wouldn't.

I wouldn't have even opened the door. It's unfortunate as many people are struggling at the moment but going door to door is literally what we should not be doing.

I think I might call the non urgent police line. I was undecided before, they are so busy and all...

I would not be happy at someone knocking on my door to speak to me at the moment.

He may be naive but he could also be a scammer, you don't know what he is saying to people who he perceives as vulnerable or living on their own. He doesn't know until he knocks the door who will answer.

Either way he could have coronavirus and is touching all these people's doors or gates.
I have a lot of sympathy for people whose income has dried up (some family members included) but this has too much potential to be dangerous.

Are you sure he's a legitimate gardener? Most people going door to door are scammers. I would report to police irrespective of virus concerns

You should definitely report him to the police. He may not be doing anything specifically wrong but they will probably want to discourage him from doing this. Check to see if your local force has an email or webchat contact if you don't want to take up someone's time on 101.

Especially if it's "cash in hand" work - what with everyone agreeing the NHS needs more money, dodging taxes is not on.

Let the police know on 101. There's been a massive increase in doorstep crime recently and some really horrible scammers preying on the vulnerabilities of elderly residents.
This is totally aside from the fact that they should be staying at home unless they genuinely have work to go to.

They are travellers, they all arrived a couple of days ago. There are 3 or 4 in the van following the one on foot looking for work. I would say they don't pay taxes, I hadn't even thought of that aspect
Let's just hope they keep their hands clean as they clearly don't care for staying in their caravans 🤷.

does your local police force have anything like this?

www.westyorkshire.police.uk/form/report-breach-of-coronavirus-restrictions

Ours seem to be taking reports pretty seriously.

We are not too far from you so I will check!!

The reason I have reservations if that if stopped he would say that he is a gardener/odd job man working fair and square. However it's just the going from house to house that worries me so much. Also I guess they have to catch them in the act in order to prove which might be tricky.

Ok I will look on our local police website.. thank you!

It might be worth calling the non-emergency number. I'm a cynical so & so, they could be checking which houses are empty or something.
Even if they are legit, I don't think now is the time to be knocking on people's doors - whenever we've had someone knock at the door (postie / courier) by the time we've answered they've been back to their van and shout there's a parcel on the doorstep for us.

Sounds like scammers to me. Saw a tv programme ages ago with similar thing obv. No corona then they did the work but charged £££s then turned threatening and walked folk to cash machine to get money. I'd never give work to a random who turned up on the doorstep.

I'm not somebody who would usually say report but in this instance I would 100% report this behaviour.
Absolutely shocking to be knocking doors at the moment, what about those vulnerable people who are waiting for shopping deliveries etc? Opening the door to find somebody unexpected stood there potentiality spreading the virus?

Please do report this. If they knocked my door they would be getting a mouthful.

..and I say this as a owner of a landscaping/hardscaping business that has had to close down for safety for our workers and ourselves!

There is no way anyone should be doing this right now. Definitely report!