The Paisley Daily Express campaign to help tackle the scourge of bogus callers preying on Renfrewshire pensioners has been commended in the Scottish Parliament.
Protect Our Pensioners was given special recognition during General Questions, when Labour MSP Neil Bibby highlighted the efforts being made by the campaign to raise awareness of doorstep crooks.
Over the coming months, the Express will be working alongside Roar - Connections for Life and Police Scotland to raise awareness of cruel scammers and how they are targeting OAPS in the local authority.
The campaign — which we launched following shocking statistics revealing £120,000 had been taken from pensioners in just three years — was praised by Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham.
Neil Bibby asked the minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to protect the public from doorstep crime and bogus callers.
He said: “We don’t just want to catch scammers but we have to prevent doorstep crime in the first place.
“This campaign aims to raise awareness of the issue, encourage members of the community to come forward to report suspicious activity and stop in their tracks the scammers who prey on older people.
“That’s why the Protect our Pensioners campaign by the Paisley Daily Express is so important and why I’m backing it in the Scottish Parliament and in our community.”
Welcoming the work of the campaign, Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham said: “Scams and doorstep crimes can be very serious for the people affected.
“As it will not be possible to legislate or regulate to address the issue fully, the best defence against scams of any type is prevention through education, as Neil Bibby suggested.
“To that end, the Government supports a number of initiatives, such as the shut out scammers campaign.
“I commend the Paisley Daily Express for running its campaign and Neil Bibby for raising the issue.”
SNP MP Mhairi Black has also urged members of the community to get involved in the campaign to help tackle bogus crime.
She said: “I am happy to support the Paisley Express Protect Our Pensioners Campaign.
“Our elderly population need to feel safe and secure in the local area.
“This respectable campaign aims to stop crimes against Renfrewshire’s pensioners.
“I would urge as many of you as possible to work with the police and the organisations involved with the campaign so that we can reduce pensioner crime in Renfrewshire.”
