Should I report to 101, stranger and my baby

Yes it's a bit weird, but there's nothing to report. I am interested however to know what goes on in South London?!

Is that the situation described by OP? It's weird we must be on different thread.

I would also refer you back to the many cases of child abuse that are coming to light now from that period, where "we weren't scared of strangers looking at us".

Stuck in the 80s when people weren't paranoid if someone they didn't know looked at them and you didn't have to make an appointment to knock on someone's door. OK.

Looks like a few people on here might be stuck in the 80s...

Now it's not normal, it's super creepy and invasive, you are not overreacting. However I would put it down as a cultural difference, and wouldn't report it.

The notorious Eastern European looking men driving vans aka Evri drivers.

The Police won't do anything because
a/. no crime was committed and
b/. you have no idea who she was.

They do not have the resources to record and look for people who have done nothing illegal. Hell, they don't even have the resources to find people who have.

The police don't even have enough resource to go and arrest prolific shop lifters, leading to massive theft which no one can prevent, do you think they really have time to look into someone touching a baby's armpit?

I knew she would be foreign. were there "some romanian looking men" closeby too?

Exactly….

If this was near Richmond report it: a woman has been seen around nurseries trying to take children.

Her AIBU is 'should I report to 101', so you in fact actually agree that she is BU because you wouldn't report to the police...

I was actually genuinely interested if she was because I can think of a couple of people I see at bus stops that this thread could be about. If you encounter this one young woman and you've got a baby, are heavily pregnant or have a very small dog then you're in for quite an intense experience. She's fully non verbal though. It's interesting seeing how different people react to her, I guess based on the chances of you having encountered her before.

I live quite near a few big hospitals, there is a lot of unusual behaviour in their vicinity

This HAS to be a wind up. 🙄

I feel like I've stepped into the twilight zone here? Random woman corners OP, gets way too close to her baby and touches the baby without permission, in a way that the OP interprets as trying to take the baby off her, and the vote is leaning towards YABU?? Wtf. I wouldn't call the police OP but I would be shaken. No it's not "normal" despite people apparently living in some bizarre nook of South London where this happens all the time

On several holidays when children were young, and more recently with gc abroad hotel waiters have carried toddlers into the kitchen to show to colleagues. Kids usually reappeared shortly clutching chocolate! Try walking down the road in Greece where businessmen as well as ‘old ladies’ will pat them on the head. U.K. attitude seems to be overly stiff and suspicious these days. It seems sad.

Came to say something similar Caerulea my dad was actually training as a paediatrician before he moved to the UK and switched speciality as he couldn’t cope with UK attitudes to children.

(And yes lots of South Africans are gorgeous with kids)

I’d have been deeply uncomfortable and been a lot ruder/forceful than you were tbh.

But I wouldn’t report to the police - mostly because they won’t do anything.

Which category would it come under when reporting online: https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-us/what-and-how-to-report/what-report/

The only thing I could vaguely see which would apply would be 'suspicious activity', but that directs you to the anti-terrorist hotline so probably not.

Maybe antisocial behaviour? But then it says to report to the police when its affecting your quality of life or you fear for your safety.

I don't think ppl realise how bloody stuffy we are when it comes to children in this country & I think we're getting worse. That said - I'd have felt uncomfortable with someone being that close & so suddenly but would hope a recognition of cultural difference kicked in & relaxed a bit.

When I met DH he lived with a group of male Chinese students, all early 20's. When I'd visit the house with my 3yo son the housemates were all over him! They'd whisk him off to play & run around, I found it peculiar at first but actually it was just very very sweet. DS managed to pour writing ink all down a wall & rather than kick off they were all 'oh but he's just a child! It was an accident!'

I also had a lot of surprise help in a supermarket in south africa (not a touristy part), baby was kicking off & I was struggling & various random women swooped in help to me calm him.

It's our culture that has an issue with kids, lots of other places are far better.

Unless you have her name, address and photo there is fuck all the police can, or would, do about this.

You'll waste an admin's time typing a useless report and absolutely nothing will ever proceed from it.

Some on MN seem to believe the police have endless resources. Most forces can't even attend burglaries or reports of SA now so no, don't bother.

@Toxicinlawz I didn't say people suggested she should call 999.. 'for crying out loud'.
I merely said reporting it, without it being a crime, wouldn't really get you anywhere. I have had the police poor scorn on me for approaching them on a lot worse.

Glad to see you're not going to waste Police time with this OP.

Of course OP felt uncomfortable, the woman was inappropriae. That doesn't mean it's a police matter though.

Omg yes exactly!!! Best reply on this thread I've seen🤣 if it was the mil police would defo get called. 999 style 🤣🤣