Shoppers angry at so-called “chuggers” who harass pedestrians in Carlisle city centre have welcomed a crackdown by council chiefs.

Carlisle City Council announced earlier this week that tighter controls on the “charity muggers” – who stop people in the street in an attempt to get them to sign up to direct debit donations – were now in force.

Their new policy has been adopted to restrict the number of chuggers and to warn people of the dangers of unlicensed operators.

The news has been welcomed by readers of the News & Star who want collectors like this regulated – with some even calling for a complete ban.

Among those who took to Facebook to voice their opinion was John Hilton, from Carlisle.

He posted: “Never mind a crackdown they should be banned completely you can’t go into town without being pestered by them. Charity donations should be by choice and nobody should feel pressured into giving. I’ve seen these idiots actually chasing people down the street.”

Mel Outofeu agreed: “They should ALL be banned. If I want to donate to charity I will hunt the charity myself. Very annoying and really put me off using the town centre.”

The new rules mean that chuggers from legitimate charities will only be allowed to work on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 10am and 6pm, with a maximum of five collectors spread over two sites – Scotch Street to Costa Coffee and Devonshire Street to Barclays Bank.

Traditional charitable street collectors – taking one-off cash donations – will be allowed on the alternate days. It’s hoped that the move will remove the nuisance factor for shoppers, ensure only legitimate charities collect and help the City Centre Management Team better agree promotional events.

Some readers weren’t calling for a complete ban, but the raft of online comments were almost unanimous in their feelings of discontent for the chuggers.

Matt Cawood wrote: “It’s about time. These people are a menace. I have seen the same guy representing two different charities. Hardly gives the impression that these people are truly dedicated to the cause. Just gun-for-hire pests.”

Brian Smith posted: “I feel like a member of the SAS going into town trying to avoid them. They ask you... you say no... they keep on asking. I don’t mind that they’re there.. just take the first no.”

Liam Harrison added: “Finally. It’s like a game of rugby when in town trying to run past them dodging them all.”

Legitimate chuggers will carry ID issued by the PRFA while cash collectors will have a licence issued by the council. The city council has received complaints about the numbers operating in the area.