YOU may hear people talk about ‘rogue traders’ or ‘bogus callers’.

Bogus callers pretend to be from a genuine organisation like the council to try and gain entry into your home. Rogue traders offer to do work for cash – this work is usually poor and not worth the price asked.

If someone turns up unexpectedly at your door, don’t become a victim of doorstep crime.

Practise good doorstep habits: lock your doors; don’t allow in callers who haven’t made an appointment; make sure the person is who they say they are; don’t worry about seeming rude.

Genuine callers expect you to be careful. Look out for your neighbours and if you are concerned that something isn’t right, contact your local trading standards or Police Scotland.

I’ve recently had a number of enquiries in relation to cold calling. If you are having issues with callers at your door, speak to trading standards to see if there is a ‘no cold calling zone’ in your area.

These can be set up to protect vulnerable people in the community. Signs or stickers let people know that cold calling is not wanted in the area and an appointment has to be made to speak to occupants. To get cold calling door stickers, contact your local authority trading standards or attend your local police station, where we have a small stock of them.

Last Wednesday, there were reports from Kennedy Crescent, Tranent, and Old Craighall Road, Old Craighall, of attempts to break into properties and sheds. I would like to remind you to secure your properties.

At about 5pm on Saturday, a green mountain bike was left on Lodge Street, Haddington, outside the Victoria Inn for a short time. A male described as around 25 years of age, medium build, 5ft 9ins tall and wearing green trousers, grey trainers, black and white striped t-shirt, black cap and wearing a grey backpack was later seen on CCTV taking the bike before cycling off. If you have any information on this, please contact police on 101 quoting incident 3031 of July 24.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault on a passenger on a number 92 Lothian bus at about 7.35pm on July 4.

The bus was stopped on North High Street, Musselburgh, at the time. We would like to speak to two male youths: one is as about 14 years old, slim build, around 5ft 3ins tall, wearing a black hooded jacket, black jogging bottoms and black trainers. He had short dark hair. The other youth was around the same age, larger build, around 5ft 1ins tall, and wearing a navy jacket with a large red panel on the hood which joins a white panel to the back of the jacket. He had on dark joggers and grey trainers.

If you have any information, please contact police on 101.