Protests over noisy rag and bone men

Rag and bone men are plaguing a village near Kidderminster with an "excessive" number of collections, prompting complaints about the noise they make.

Protests about the number of scrap merchants touting for business in Cookley have prompted a police operation to clamp down on the problem.

Residents have complained the village is being swamped by some 10 collectors visiting the village every week. They claim the noise made by PA systems blasting out calls for scrap is causing a nuisance.

Many are worried some collectors are not licensed but "opportunists" looking to take advantage of the high price of metal.

Police in the village have now organised an enforcement scheme where collectors will have to prove their vehicles are registered for carrying scrap.

They will also be asked to show their MOT certification and insurance. The problem was raised at a recent meeting of the village's Partners and Community Together (Pact) group.

Councillor Chris Nicholls, who is also chairman of Pact for Cookley, said the issue was a major concern.

"No-one in the village has any problem with occasional visits by licensed scrap metal collectors, which is what happened before," he said.

"However the number coming into the village has reached an excessive level."