ROGER Martin's letter (You Say, Tuesday, September 23) called into question the practice of the Trading Standards service in acting to protect members of the public from door-to-door sellers.

I wanted to take the opportunity to explain the principle behind our decision to make these "notice to caller" packs available to members of the public.

We receive hundreds of calls every year from residents who have been caught out by rogue traders.

In cases where people are selling door-to-door, victims have often agreed to purchase goods or services in an attempt to "get rid" of the person on their doorstep, potentially resulting in them getting into severe financial difficulty.

We are not suggesting that all doorstep sellers are untrustworthy, what we are giving people is the opportunity to have a choice. By putting a card in their window they can make the choice about whether they want to answer the door.

If someone is confident about answering their door they need not ask for a card. We are providing it for those who feel they need that additional security.

CLIVE GRAHAM,

Head of Trading Standards,

Worcestershire.