Ding-dong! Over 50s doorstep seller numbers soar

Markus Redmann/DPA/PA

Next time you answer the front door to a doorstep salesman, there's a big chance it won't be some spotty-faced kid trying to persuade you to change energy suppliers, it'll be a neatly-presented over 50 with a story to tell and a product to sell.

Because, according to a survey from Direct Selling Association, the ranks of the silver sellers have grown by 29%, to around 120,000 in the last year alone, so they form a significant faction of the 400,000-strong army of people selling door-to-door in a £2billion market.