Families warned of scam as doorstep trickster sells packs of six oatcakes for the price of twelve

Families in Stoke are falling victim to a doorstep trickster behind an oatcake scam. They have paid £2 for 12 oatcakes to a woman going door to door selling High Lane Oatcakes – only to later discover just six in a pack. Several victims have complained about the scam after the con woman reportedly targeted homes in Smallthorne, Norton, Fegg Hayes, Burslem and Chell.

Now shop staff have started cutting up surplus oatcakes before throwing them away – amid fears a con woman was raiding their bins to sell on the Potteries delicacy. High Lane Oatcakes sells a dozen oatcakes for £2.36 and a pack of six for £1.19. Owner Jane Gavin, of Knypersley, said: “We don’t know where these oatcakes could have come from.



“We were frightened they might have come from the bins but we are convinced that’s not the case. There’s not a lot we can do. It’s not unusual for us to sell a large amount of oatcakes to people. It’s hard for us to narrow it down. It is shocking. If somebody was genuinely wanting to sell to people who can’t perhaps come in themselves they should have said, but knowing they are just coming in and selling them on is just wrong.

“It’s our reputation on the line if people think we are ripping them off.” She added: “We never sell door to door. We supply two shops in Smallthorne and we were going to put posters in the windows there warning people.” The trickster is described as being in her 30s and has brown hair. One 84-year-old victim said: “I’m disgusted. If I saw her again I would punch her in the face. They can throw me in jail if they want to.”