Those door to door sellers of cleaning cloths etc...

Nah i don't think it's nicked. i've never heard of burglaries in order to steal cleaning products, or ram raids on cloth factories ?

this stuff has been going on since time began...when i were a lass they were sold by people with mental handicaps. (and that probably isn't the PC term but ykwim) now it's ex offenders.

i do wonder why criminals would rather make tuppence ha'penny selling dish clothes when they could just break into your house though...[cynical icon]

I'd also come across them on a scheme for homeless people in the past.

Excellent, I will tell H. My social conscience is now clear. Thanks for replying - you're the best person who could have!

Well this little chap wasn't up to working that out I don't think, which is why I took pity.

As rehabilitation programmes go, it's a bloody terrible idea though, isn't it? I wouldn't buy from them for that reason.

My mum recently bought a bag of pegs for £4.99 from one of these - she said the reason she did, was because the young lad explained to her that they are ex-young offenders and the scheme means that for every item they sell, they get an hour's worth of tuition at college.

I think it is quite legit. We have had them round before. My H ALWAYS buys off them - to be sure they don't rob us in the future!!?!?!? i did make the point that if they were going to reoffend why would they bother doing the minium wage job now of selling cloths etc?!

I don't know how I feel about it. One that my Dad didn't want to buy from went on a huge sweary rant about it was alright for him living in a nice house etc (for the record, my parent have the tiniest wee terraced thing in London..I see his point, but it would have been better made in one of the mansions round regent's park).

It's a dreadful idea and (I believe) run by private companies employing ex-offenders rather than being a government scheme. My mother used to work as a careers counsellor to young offenders in Reading prison and she is completely against these schemes- she was at my house when one chap came to the door and the poor man got a twenty minute lecture about the importance of taking a longer term view, getting proper training etc ? Door to door selling is a *** job with no prospects, very little pay, no training and no future. why go back to a life of crime when you can instead earn £5 a day hawking J-cloths from door to door and being verbally abused by housewives?...oh ?

Psychbird, I think your chap was lying (good lie though ?)- there are huge amounts of money spent trying to encourage ex-offenders into (free) training. It would be completely unethical, pointless and demeaning to make them earn the training by selling dusters.

My MIL is involved in prison visiting, and buys lots of artwork made in HMPs.

A Google reveals this, and I think some of the cushions are divine. I'll be having some I think.

https://finecellwork.co.uk/ix/aboutus

Hi, I've just stumbled upon your post about these ex-offenders going door to door selling cheap tat such as Tea Towels, Gardening Gloves, dish Cloths etc etc. I live in Surrey and we've had these guys knock on our door at least 3 times in the last couple of months so I know exactly what your talking about.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing this reply is to warn you and your readers to be VERY CAREFUL. While I think there is absolutly nothing wrong with an ex-offender doing this off his/her own back and being honest with the home-owner that they are an ex-offender trying to go-straight, so long as they motives are honest and genuine. However, when these door to door sales people show an ID card and claim they are part of a rehabilitation scheme, this is a bare faced lie which proves their dishonesty.

I have a lot of experience of working with ex-offenders and I can promise you that no charity, organisation, scheme, or probation service in the UK would support ex-offenders going door to door and basically asking the public for money. (Even if they are technically selling stuff) The risks would be too great and no charity, organisation, scheme, or probation service would dare take such a risk.

To prove what I'm saying I want to point you to the Surrey and Sussex probation trust website where they warn about these door to door sellers:

http://www.surreysussexprobation.gov.uk/news/press_releases__2011__/beware_door-to-door_sales_callers/

They advise you to report these people if they knock at your door. Here are the numbers to report this none urgent crime:

• For Sussex Police 0845 60 70 999
• For Surrey Police call ****

Finally, while I can understand that Twiglet girl may have felt sorry for the ex-offender who knocked at her door, the very fact that he was claiming to be part of a rehabilitation scheme tells me he was manipulating you and his motives may not be very innocent. Its just not worth the risk, especially when the consequences could mean your house being broken into or your purse or wallet snatched out of your hand.

We had a chap come to the door a few weeks back selling these "special" sponges made of filter foam. I'm all for supporting a good cause but there's a limit. They were asking £8 each I think. I can get a whole block of foam for cheaper.