A car was targeted in the Townhall Street area of Enniskillen
LOCAL PEOPLE are being urged to be wary of door-to-door traders selling knives, pillows and now eggs across the county.
Over the last number of weeks police have received numerous reports of traders selling these items, with concern among police there could be a more sinister element to it.
PSNI Inspector Roy Robinson explained: “The difficulty is sometimes people who are involved in criminal activity could use this as a reason to be at somebody’s premises and have a look around. For elderly and vulnerable people this can also be used as a ruse.”
Properties in Enniskillen, Fivemiletown, Lisbellaw, Clabby, Tempo, Maguiresbridge have all been targeted, with most reporting that men driving vehicles with southern registrations have approached their homes.
Helga Montgomery from Fivemiletown explained that last week a man came to her door selling what he said were ‘hotel pillows’ and showed her a badge.
“I just told him I wasn’t interested and closed the door,” she explained.
She added: “I was a bit weary as I have a wee Yorkie dog and I had seen things on Facebook about them targeting dogs.”
Violet Storey from Lisbellaw was another who had an encounter with a door to door trader as she explained: “It was on Thursday. I was actually at side of my house painting the fence and chatting to a neighbour when she spotted him coming up my driveway. I went over to him and he showed a UK driving licence as ID and said he was selling orthopaedic pillows. I said no thanks and off he went. I didn’t see any strange cars or vans parked and he only seemed to go to a few houses before driving off in a southern car.”
Kate Abraham from Ballinamallard came across a man selling knives in Enniskillen town centre two Fridays ago, with her 89-year-old mother shaken up by the incident.
“We were outside Heatons in Enniskillen and my daughter and her child had just got out of the car and my mother and I were just sitting there. The next thing he just came rapping on the window. I thought he was asking directions and next thing he threw the knives in on top of my mother and she’s an 89-year-old frail women. He was just saying ‘buy these knives’, ‘lovely knives’ and I told him I have a set of them. He then asked for a tenner for them, but I said no and closed the window and off he went. My mother was shook up, if she had been in the car on her own she could have had a heart attack.”
PSNI Inspector Roy Robinson explained that two men were arrested in relation to these matters last Wednesday, July 22. Both were arrested for trading without a Pedlars Certificate, and one was also arrested for no insurance. Mr Robinson explained this was an “ongoing issue” and was not confined to just knives and pillows.
“Fresh eggs was the latest one and people have been approached about purchasing fresh eggs. We have had a detection in Dromore and a couple of days ago in Ballinamallard.”
“It’s an ongoing issue we have been dealing with. Our officers are very much aware and the public have been very good at telling us where activities are going on and we can immediately go to that area and check it out and see if they’re bonafide.”
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