AN Englishman's home is his castle, they say - and these days it's getting so you would need a drawbridge to ensure a bit of privacy.

The Jehovah's Witnesses used to have a monopoly on unwelcome doorstep sales techniques.

But now everyone's at it - double glazing salesmen, gas and electric companies, insurance agents, charity collectors.

Most of us have had to put up with them at some stage. They're annoying - and they make us feel bad about ourselves for having to be rude to get rid of them.

So the campaign to slam the door on cold-callers is welcome. It begs the question, however, of how they can be stopped. A spiky-collared dog in the driveway? The name Dunbuyin on the gate? A doorbell that plays the Moody Blues' 1964 chart-topper Go Now

Or do we just settle for pulling up the drawbridge?

Updated: 10:31 Wednesday, April 23, 2003