Christmas shoppers are being forced to run a gauntlet of hawkers in Wolverhampton city centre, sparking an investigation by council chiefs into possible harassment.
The latest addition to Dudley Street is a man armed with incense sticks. He was handing them to passing shoppers and then asking for payment. The man joined charity collectors, mobile phone salesman and people trying to offload catalogues in the busy street yesterday.
The problem with unwanted salespeople got so bad earlier this year the city council looked at introducing new by-laws to curb the menace amid complaints from shoppers.
Disgrunted shopper Eleanor Hawkins, aged 28, said today: “It is busy enough in the area at Christmas without being stopped every two seconds by somebody trying to sell you something that you don’t want.
“If I intend to buy something I will go into a shop and purchase it properly. I am sure most people feel the same and so these street salesmen are wasting our time and their own.
“The man with the incense was in your face as you tried to walk past. He was handing out the joss sticks which people took without thinking, no doubt imagining it was yet another unwanted flyer.
“Once they had accepted the ‘gift’ he started demanding that they paid for it. Some people were really upset by his behaviour. It was the final straw for them after all the other unwanted hassle in the street.”
Wolverhampton City Council was today investigating the situation.
7 Comments
Where are the police?
These people are a menace and should not be allowed in the city centre.
well we should give the man a 1 penny coin and then say “that’ll be 50p” when he walks off with it!!!
The one’s who stand outside the numerous phone shops are a pain, i understand they have drwan the short straw that day and have been pushed out in to the cold to pester us - but why do they look at you like your, well you can imagine, when you either ignore them or politely point out your not interested?
As for all the other ‘traders’ that have their paste boards up along the high street - they should be moved on - they just cause problems with people trying to get in and out of the shops.
You can get your car recovery sorted, buy a new phone (several of), buy yourself (again several of) lucky chinese charms (so your car wont break down), numerous scarves, inscense sticks, phone covers, pairs of socks & tights - and that’s just between macdonalds and marks & spencers…. MOVE THEM ON!!!!!!
I really want the town centre to do well, but this dosen’t happen in the trafford centre, and even merry hill have cracked down on those women hawking face cream.
If someone gives you something it’s a gift - he can do and say what he wants afterwards. What an idiot, it’s a pity he didn’t get a free bunch of 5’s. If these people menace you, tell them where to go.
You know all this junk mail you get through your door? Don’t bin it - simply hand it to the grunts in Wolvo trying to sell you the same rubbish. It works wonders..if they drop the papers they may be causing a litter offense and hey presto: your council suddenly gives a damn, it seems.
I couldn’t agree more, get Dudley Street sorted out. But while your at it, have a word with the management of the Mander Centre, and ask them to tell the people manning those stalls inside the centre to also stop pestering shoppers. It’s got to the stage where there are certain pathways through the Mander Centre that I don’t take, just to avoid someone trying to sell me something.
Let’s get something straight, and this applies equally to people on the street and people in stalls in the Mander Centre as it does to people in shops who always want to come over and “help” you when your trying to look. I’ve been shopping for 20 odd years, I know how to do it, I don’t need your help, and if I want to buy what your selling, I will approach you.