A HAMPSHIRE-based company has been fined £100,000 for targeting people with 'predatory' calls. 

Investigators found Eco Spray Insulations Limited in Eastleigh flouted marketing laws to make 178,190 calls to people who were supposed to be exempt.

This comes after the ICO, the UK's independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, fined four companies a total of £370,000 after receiving complaints from residents who had been 'aggressively pestered' by firms attempting to flog home improvements.

Many of the complainants who received the cold-calls - some 820,000 in total - were vulnerable or elderly, with some having ongoing health conditions.

One complaint read: “I have terminal cancer and am currently having chemotherapy treatment. I told them this the first time they called… Our number is also registered with the TPS.”

Another said: “Called a 93 year old lady in poor health these calls really upset and worry her.”

The ICO started its proactive investigation into predatory marketing calls generated by the sector in 2020, after vouchers of up to £5,000 were offered to home owners to improve energy efficiency.

As previously seen with 'green scheme' and other initiatives, complaints soon came in from people who had been called regarding loft, window and wall insulation.

All of the complainants were registered with the TPS, a statutory register of people who have said they do not want to receive marketing calls.

The ICO investigation found the companies, which included firms in Derby, Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent, were 'deliberately or negligently flouting' electronic marketing laws to make a profit.

Some of the companies also used different trading names - which is illegal.

Regulators found that Eco Spray used data sourced from two brokers but failed to carry out any due diligence checks or screen against the TPS register.

The ICO investigation said it deliberately made calls for financial gain, were ignorant of the law and had inadequate record keeping. 

It was in the top 20 most complained about organisations for three months in 2020.

Andy Curry, head of investigations said: “The complaints we received showed that people were distressed, upset, worried and inconvenienced by the calls. For people to feel this way, in their own homes where they should feel safe, is unacceptable.

“These companies all aggressively pestered people, including some vulnerable individuals, forcibly trying to make them buy products that they didn’t need or want. All of the calls were driven solely by the companies wish to make financial gain.

“We will continue to take strong action to protect the public by investigating and taking enforcement measures against companies where we find that they have flouted the law.”