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Original poster

Weird noise from neighbours empty house...

83 replies

EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 20:48

So a bit of backstory, we live in a "rough" area & I haven't seen my neighbour in over a month (6 weeks ago is when our cctv last saw her) which was also the same time someone spray painted the word "grass" on her window. I know she's involved in drugs, as most people round here are, so we assumed she had told on the local dealer and been ran out of her house. We mentioned it to the housing officer of our housing association the other day that we hadn't seen her in a while and we were concerned and she didn't know anything about it. And now in the last couple of days there's been a weird noise coming from her house - sounds like an old printer that's ran out of ink on repeat, but only at certain times of the day, and now it's a continuous humming sound like a hair dryer. I'm 100% certain she is not in that house, what the hell could the noise be?! And should I ring the non emergency police number or would they just tell me to contact the local council?

OP posts:
Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 22:48

Frances0911 · 09/09/2022 22:47

If she has children have they been away for school holidays, and just not back yet?

I thought this at first because she also had a passport delivered earlier this year, so I assumed she was going on holiday at some point, but it's been too long now and all the children in our area went back to school on Monday

OP posts:
Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 22:50

TempNameChangexx · 09/09/2022 22:45

Just call 101 and talk to the police - stop faffing around.

Turn the situation around - if this was you and your children, would you want your neighbour to be concerned enough to actually take action?
I would!

Already doing that in the morning, just thought someone may have an idea of what the noises are

OP posts:
Mosso · 09/09/2022 22:55

No idea. Get a welfare check in case it's a farm and she's the trapped farmer

Elieza · 09/09/2022 22:58

Phone the police. There was a grass up here who was tortured for three weeks and then murdered.

Better the police intervene.

Twawmyarse · 09/09/2022 22:59

If you know where her family live why not just pop by tomorrow and check she's OK?

LemonSwan · 09/09/2022 23:00

I would call the police now.

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 23:02

Twawmyarse · 09/09/2022 22:59

If you know where her family live why not just pop by tomorrow and check she's OK?

I don't know where exactly they live I just know they live in the next street over somewhere. I don't really speak to anyone round here, mostly keep my distance

OP posts:
Curlyshabtree · 09/09/2022 23:03

Sounds like a weed farm. We had one behind us (back to back terrace) and could hear the continuous whirring of a fan. I was concerned about modern slavery so reported it. The police later posted photos of the farm and there was a fan on the wall.

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 23:05

Curlyshabtree · 09/09/2022 23:03

Sounds like a weed farm. We had one behind us (back to back terrace) and could hear the continuous whirring of a fan. I was concerned about modern slavery so reported it. The police later posted photos of the farm and there was a fan on the wall.

Could you smell anything?

You'd think if there was a weed farm I'd be able to smell it but nothing 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
Maymaymay · 09/09/2022 23:09

This is called cuckooing. Running someone out of their home to use it for drug production or use, the police will listen its fairly common especially along county lines.

imnotthatkindofmum · 09/09/2022 23:09

It would only smell if they were smoking it. It first have a string smell when growing unless you were in the room sniffing plants.

mrsbyers · 09/09/2022 23:18

Maybe she just left the bathroom extractor fan running and is on an extended holiday

Booklover3 · 09/09/2022 23:18

Why are you waiting till morning? That makes no sense!

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 23:23

Booklover3 · 09/09/2022 23:18

Why are you waiting till morning? That makes no sense!

Because I'd rather not have the police banging her door down at almost midnight when my children are in bed? Especially if it's a case of she's on holiday and the boiler is just being weird

OP posts:
OnTheBrinkOfChange · 09/09/2022 23:26

I'm really freaked out by the fact that you haven't seen her leave the property since that day.

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 23:28

OnTheBrinkOfChange · 09/09/2022 23:26

I'm really freaked out by the fact that you haven't seen her leave the property since that day.

Me too, unless my camera was conveniently off charge when she's left I just don't see how it missed it because it picks up movement. It picked up some teens going in to her house two days later (they're related to her somehow I've seen them before)

OP posts:
MolkosTeenageAngst · 09/09/2022 23:37

I’m confused. You saw her and her kids in the house on the cctv and then a few days later some teens enter the house but nobody else leave or enter since. So did you see the children or the teens leave her house? Presumably there can’t be 5 people in the house that nobody has missed or asked about and if you haven’t seen anyone leave I’d guess it’s either because your cctv has missed it or because they are using a back door that it doesn’t capture?

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 23:42

MolkosTeenageAngst · 09/09/2022 23:37

I’m confused. You saw her and her kids in the house on the cctv and then a few days later some teens enter the house but nobody else leave or enter since. So did you see the children or the teens leave her house? Presumably there can’t be 5 people in the house that nobody has missed or asked about and if you haven’t seen anyone leave I’d guess it’s either because your cctv has missed it or because they are using a back door that it doesn’t capture?

The cctv hasn't picked up anyone leaving, so I'm thinking the camera was down. And no chance of them leaving through a back door, our back gardens are directly in front of the woods and have big metal fences that don't open. The only way out is through the front door, or out the back and through the alley... Except her alley is blocked off by the neighbour she shares it with who has put a reinforced door on it

OP posts:
MrsMontyD · 09/09/2022 23:51

Twawmyarse · 09/09/2022 22:59

If you know where her family live why not just pop by tomorrow and check she's OK?

That's not a good idea if a drug dealer is potentially involved, OP asks around about her neighbour and then the police turn up to do a welfare check, the OP will have grass spray painted on her house next.

Plausible deniability is the only option, an anonymous call to the police or crime stoppers and otherwise keep your head down.

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 23:58

MrsMontyD · 09/09/2022 23:51

That's not a good idea if a drug dealer is potentially involved, OP asks around about her neighbour and then the police turn up to do a welfare check, the OP will have grass spray painted on her house next.

Plausible deniability is the only option, an anonymous call to the police or crime stoppers and otherwise keep your head down.

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Exactly, it's why I'll make small talk with the people in my area but never get involved. And I'll only report something if I've got a lot of concern, I don't want anything coming back to my door

OP posts:
PenguinMan · 10/09/2022 00:00

Definitely report to the police and explain that you’re concerned.

I wouldn’t speak to her family or anything.

The noises could just be normal house noises as these are often louder when there’s no one in them.

oakleaffy · 10/09/2022 03:23

EllieRosesMammy · 09/09/2022 21:32

Oh don't say that 😭 I've just rechecked the footage and there's nothing of her leaving the property, just the last day she went in there, I really hope that's not the case :(

Show quote history

It really shocked me that this happens..
As for lack of smell..
So say they use carbon filters?
Google is your friend.

Sadly I had a friend who disappeared years ago, I called round at his flat and texted and phoned, and he had actually died.
He was only in his 40’s.
It was my flagging it to an immediate neighbour of his in same building that caused them to phone police.
I would do a welfare check anonymously.

Thistlelass · 10/09/2022 04:40

Please tell me the police have done a check?

Sellorkeep · 10/09/2022 04:50

You have cctv that covers your neighbours- is that normal now? I’d be pretty unhappy to be your neighbour.
If I was worried about a neighbour I’d contact the police.

Toomanybooks22 · 10/09/2022 04:53

@Sellorkeep makes a good point, regardless of whether it actually helps in this situation, arguably if your camera is facing on to your neighbours properly you could be in breach of data protection laws (Data Protection Act and U.K. GDPR)