It was a persistent solar panel salesman that proved to be the final straw for Kirsty Heath.

So the mother of three set about securing a No Cold Calling Zone for the whole of her estate in Toftwood, near Dereham.

Now her community of 173 homes has become the 150th in Norfolk to say no to unwanted doorstep callers.

Yesterday morning, Norfolk Trading Standards erected signs at the entrance to the estate on Boyd Avenue warning traders that the residents do not want them knocking on their doors.

Households have also been given information from the county council's team to help them deal with any cold callers in the future and encourage them to keep looking out for neighbours who may be particularly vulnerable to rogue traders.

Mrs Heath said she delivered leaflets to every one of the 173 homes asking the householders if they would be in favour of the zone and received over and above the level of support needed to apply for it.

'I was fed up having to keep telling people to go away in as polite a manner as possible,' she said. 'Then a solar panel salesman really pushed my buttons and would not go away. There are a lot of elderly on this estate and some might be vulnerable enough to get roped into something that is really not appropriate for them.'

With the new Toftwood scheme there are now 7,000 households covered by No Cold Calling Zones in Norfolk, all run by the residents themselves, with all householders looking out for one another.

Paul Smyth, chairman of Norfolk County Council's communities committee, said: 'We receive positive feedback from people living within existing zones, so this 150th zone may be followed by many more.'

Have you been a victim of rogue traders or aggressive sales tactics? Email kathryn.cross@archant.co.uk