Paisley tackles issue of nuisance calls

The purpose of this latest drive by MPs is to encourage the government to change legislation around nuisance calling which is seen by many as weak and unenforced with little consequences for offenders.

Specifically, MPs want the Government to work closer with Ofcom and the Information Commissioner with who the responsibility currently lies to tackle these calls, to put in place stricter regulations which enable more charges to be brought against companies and individuals who are in breach of the law.

Also within their concerns is the fact that the existing law is confusing and overly complicated which makes it harder to impose sanctions upon abusers.

The first stage of the process has already begun and Mr Paisley has added his name to an Early Day Motion in Parliament which will be used to influence government Ministers to have another look at the law and to take note of the threat these calls are posing to individuals within the public.

Speaking about the current campaign Mr Paisley said: “Nuisance calls are something which have been troubling all of us for a number of years now. At a certain point I myself was receiving at least one per day and I know many others who were experiencing the same problem. Thankfully the frequency and regularity of these calls have calmed down enormously but there are however still companies and criminals out there who are using these methods for sales, and in some cases, to illegally extort money from people.

“My main concern is those citizens among us who are more vulnerable and susceptible to fall victim to criminal activity through cold calling. There are many criminal organisations who are using these methods to trick and to deceive money and I have heard incidences of intimidation being used in the past.

“I would encourage everyone to be extremely conscious and wary of any caller who they do not know or trust and to especially not give any bank details out whatsoever over the phone to someone you do not know or have had verified. The last thing I want is for more people around North Antrim to fall victim to these crimes. And if anyone still has any concerns or feels uneasy about a caller bothering them, please call your phone operator or the police to solve the problem immediately.

“Hopefully our campaign in Westminster can cull this problem sooner rather than later, but I urge all members of the public to be particularly vigilant so that we can solve this issue together,” said Mr Paisley.