Derbyshire Dales and High Peak Community Safety Partnerships launched the Nominated Neighbour Scheme on Monday 31 October, which aims to prevent incidents of distraction burglary and reassure vulnerable people.

The partnerships have been working closely with Derbyshire County Council, Age Concern and Neighbourhood Watch to develop the scheme, which enables residents to act as nominated neighbours for vulnerable people within their own communities.

Under the scheme, if a vulnerable person receives an unknown caller at their house they will not answer the door but instead they will present a card at their window redirecting the visitor to their nominated neighbour’s house. The nominated neighbour will speak to the visitor.

Cathy Ayrton of Age Concern said: “If a genuine caller visits a vulnerable person and is shown the card they will have no problems in visiting the nominated neighbour. However if the person is trying to gain access unlawfully then the card will give them a clear message that they are not going achieve this and that there is a crime prevention initiative taking place. Hopefully they will then leave the area and our initiative has had the desired effect.”

Councillor Lewis Rose OBE, Chairman of Safer Derbyshire Dales Community Safety Partnership, said: “The Nominated Neighbour Scheme is an excellent initiative while should help prevent incidents of distraction burglary. As well as providing a deterrent it will give a sense of security to some of our more vulnerable residents.”

The scheme will be initially run in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales areas with a view to the whole of Derbyshire adopting the initiative in the near future.

Neighbourhood Watch coordinators will identify people to take part in the scheme. Information packs will be made available in doctors’ surgeries, libraries and local police stations.

Mr Gordon Skinner, a Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in Matlock said: “I think this is a brilliant scheme. If a group would like a talk about the Nominated Neighbour Scheme I will be happy to come along and help them get started.”

For further information please contact Sandra Haycock on 01773 572938 or Inspector Tony Dales (Buxton Community Intelligence Unit) on 0845 123 33 33. Gordon Skinner can be contacted on 01629 55835.