BAILIFFS operating for Hyndburn Council will be banned from going to the homes of mums-to-be, single parents, the elderly and disabled.

The code of conduct, set to be rubber stamped tomorrow, is designed to protect the borough’s most vulnerable residents.

It bans bailiffs from approaching:

l Households in which there has been a death within two weeks.

l A mum-to-be in the last two months of pregnancy.

l A single parent of children under the age of 12 who receives means-tested benefit.

l Residents living on Income Support, Job Seeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee or Employment Support Allowance.

l Households where English is not spoken, read or understood.

l A severely disabled person or someone suffering with a mental illness.

l Any person over the age of 75.

l An elderly person under 75 who is frail, confused or ill or having difficulty in dealing with their affairs.

The report says: “This code clearly sets out the responsibilities of the bailiff companies and the council.

"It is intended that copies of the code would be available on the council’s website and in council offices for reference.”

The council has drawn up a code of conduct after a vulnerable Accrington man died during a bailiff call a year ago.

Councillors said a discussion of rules governing bailiffs would ensure Hyndburn residents were aware of their rights, should they find themselves in a similar situation to 78-year-old Andy Miller.

The former landlord suffered a heart attack in Accrington town centre last January after a Blackpool-appointed bailiff drove him to a cashpoint over an unpaid speeding fine.

The proposed code would be used to oversee council tax recovery.