PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice is backing a campaign to stamp out uninvited doorstep trading.

The Labour backbencher is supporting a ban after research showed more than 95 per cent of people did not want any doorstep salespeople to call at their homes.

Research by Trading Standards,also showed some instances of doorstep sellers targeting the elderly and vulnerable.

Mr Prentice said: "In November 2002 Trading Standards carried out a survey of some 9,000 households in the UK which showed that more than 95.7 per cent said they did not want doorstep sellers calling at all.

"Another survey by the Office of Fair Trading, found 45 per cent of complaints related to home maintenance repairs and improvements.

"A report from the Trading Standards Institute in April last year highlighted instances involving criminal elements and targeting the vulnerable and elderly.

"There was a newspaper report recently of a cold caller claiming to be from a double glazing firm who threatened to kill a couple who said they didn't want new windows.

"Clearly this would have been a terrifying experience, particularly for elderly people and I want to see an end to people showing up at our doors uninvited trying to pressure us into buying or having work done."