Pervert calling women

Cumbria Police have issued advice to women in the Copeland area - a man has been making threatening phone calls. He has been ringing lone women and saying:

I know where you are and that you’re alone, do you want me to come round?

Officers say his victims have been scared and upset by the calls. The man makes the calls from a withheld number.


Police are advising anyone who receives a call not to talk to the man, but to put the phone down and report the incident to their telephone provider.

Alan Willison, police community support officer for Copeland west, said:

The calls from this male seem to be purely to upset and scare the individual receiving the call. If you receive such a call, hang up as soon as possible and advise your provider.

Anyone who knows who is making the calls should ring the police on 101.

British Telecom offer advice on their website, on how to deal with calls of this nature. I have transcribed the information below for ease of use:

Remember, you are in control – and you can take a few simple precautions when answering the phone. Stay calm and don't engage with the caller. Many malicious callers are motivated by getting an emotional response from you, and walking away from the phone for a few moments before replacing the handset can be more of a deterrent than simply slamming the phone down or retaliating verbally.

Don't disclose any personal information. This may seem obvious, but many people answer their phone by stating their telephone number, or sometimes, their name. If the caller has dialled your number at random they are more likely to remember it and call you again if you've given them some personal information. It's always better to answer the phone with a simple 'hello' or wait for the caller to speak first.

Keep any answer phone messages short and to the point: never leave a message informing people that you are away from home. For example, simply state that you are unable to take the call at the moment. A male voice message may be more of a deterrent than a female voice, and if you're a woman, you could consider changing your phone book listing if this gives any indication of your gender or marital status.

Taking action 

If you are receiving abusive, threatening or obscene calls that are distressing to you, then you should report them to the police.

For every malicious call you receive you should note down the date, time and nature of the call. Note specific details of what the caller said, including any background noises you can hear. Any information you gather may help towards identifying and prosecuting the caller.

Someone from BT will talk to you and advise the best course of action. This may include changing your number or placing a trace on your calls. Most malicious calls can be traced, whether they come from private, public or even mobile telephones, anywhere in the country.

You may need to be prepared to give evidence if the malicious caller is traced, charged and taken to court.

Reporting malicious calls

If you are receiving persistent malicious calls, please contact the Nuisance Call Advice Line on 0800 661 441 (Monday to Friday – 8am to 10pm and Saturday – 9am to 6pm).

Other ways BT can help

Caller Display – lets you see the number that's calling you before you answer so you can decide whether to pick up the phone or ignore unwanted calls. BT Privacy at Home – a free service that includes Caller Display and registration with the Telephone Preference Service.

Choose to Refuse – helps block particular numbers from getting through to you.

Anonymous Call Reject – lets you block incoming calls from withheld UK numbers.

Call Sign – gives you an additional number with a different ringtone. If you give this to family or friends you can distinguish between incoming calls.

BT Answer 1571 – a voicemail service for callers to leave a message if you don't answer the phone.

BT 1471 – dial 1471 to check the last person who called you.

Ex directory service - make your telephone number ex-directory.

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