Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has halted all of its doorstep sales activity in the UK, with the loss of up to 900 jobs. The move comes two months after a court found SSE's sales agents had used misleading sales scripts when talking to people on their doorsteps.

The firm said commission-based doorstep selling was "no longer an effective way" to gain customers. It will continue other activities such as online and direct mail sales. SSE was found guilty at Guildford Crown Court in May of tricking people into switching from their existing energy firms, between September 2008 and July 2009. It had claimed they were paying too much to their current suppliers when this was not the case.

SSE was found guilty on two counts out of seven charges brought under the unfair trading practices regulations.

Suspended: The company, which is appealing the conviction, announced it had decided to suspend all of its doorstep sales activity, with immediate effect.

It now expects to close permanently its existing doorstep sales operations, "subject to consultation with affected employees". The energy supplier cited low confidence in the way companies sold energy on the doorstep, and the way in which sales staff were remunerated, as reasons why commission-based doorstep selling was no longer an....Read more on this story: CLICK HERE