RESIDENTS throughout Gloucestershire have reported receiving suspicious telephone calls from callers who have claimed to be working for Gloucestershire County Council (GCC).

Today (February 10) alone GCC’s call centre has reportedly received 11 reports from concerned members of the public about unsolicited calls from cold callers.

The bogus caller claims to be employed by GCC and is contacting about a recent road traffic accident.

The county council have assured residents that it would never cold call members of the public. Any calls made by council staff are follow ups on enquiries made by people who have contacted GCC directly.

Residents who have reported these calls have so far all hung up without sharing information.

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “If you receive a phone call like these, please just hang up.

“GCC will never contact you about this sort of thing, so you can be sure it’s a bogus call.

“Our advice is not to disclose any personal information, hang up the phone and report it to us.”

Eddie Coventry, head of trading standards at GCC, said: “When you hang up the phone the line can remain open if the caller does not also hang up. You should wait at least five minutes before reporting a suspicious phone call to ensure you’re not reconnected to the scam caller.

“Test your landline by phoning a friend or relative first. Alternatively, use a mobile phone to ensure you aren’t still unwittingly connected to the fraudster.”

If you have any concerns about receiving these types of calls, contact GCC on 01452 425000 to report it. If you feel threatened or the caller is abusive contact the police on 101.