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Original poster

Urgent help

91 replies

PrincessSakura · 05/01/2025 00:07

Young person has knocked at my home needing directions, as it’s late there are no buses or trains running.
Would you offer to drive them home?

I’m wondering if we can get a name and some details of how they got here etc and reporting to 101 but I don’t want to scare them and risk them being in danger/left out in the cold all night.

Help!

OP posts:
CouldItBeAnyMoreObvious · 05/01/2025 06:48

catphone · 05/01/2025 01:20

The police will probably take them back home in my experience, even if they say that their parents have been emotionally abusing them, the police usually just recommend a parenting course or say that parents are stressed

No need for that comment.
Not what thread is about.

ACR7 · 05/01/2025 07:32

catphone · 05/01/2025 01:20

The police will probably take them back home in my experience, even if they say that their parents have been emotionally abusing them, the police usually just recommend a parenting course or say that parents are stressed

What utter BS. Totally not true.

NetZeroZealot · 05/01/2025 07:34

Well done OP. I once encountered a young woman near where we live who had an argument with her boyfriend and he had driven off and taken her phone. Classic coercive control.
i got her to call the police using my phone and then drove her home.
it was the middle of the day, DH was not around but another friend was luckily so she stayed with my kids.

winterwarmer8274 · 05/01/2025 07:47

Hopefully this can be the start of them getting whatever support they need OP - they must have been absolutely desperate to knock on a strangers door at that time.

SoManyTshirts · 05/01/2025 07:55

MummaEllie · 05/01/2025 00:16

Please can I just ask that you check you don't have any open windows/ doors incase it's a distraction burglary

I’ve had a child come to me with a tale of being threatened, allowed inside then asked for a drink. They suddenly got less keen to be there when I said I had teenage children upstairs, and vanished when I offered to call the police station on their direct number.

Thomasina79 · 05/01/2025 08:05

Let’s hope the kids ok this morning, tucked up safely in a nice warm bed! It’s easy to always think the worst nowadays, but quite often this isn’t the case. I think the OP did the right thing.

Cailin66 · 05/01/2025 08:34

Mudflaps · 05/01/2025 05:34

Many years ago my father was up late watching telly when there was a knock on the kitchen window, considering we lived in a very rural area he got a fright to say the least, it was mid winter, snowing and extremely cold and you'd certainly not be expecting a visitor at that time.
It was a young woman aged in her early twenties, she was soaked, crying and later we realised bruised but my father still got my mother out of bed before he answered the door. It turned out her boyfriend had thrown her out of his car after an argument about him drinking and driving while on the way home after a night out, she'd walked about 4 miles looking for a house with a light on, there were very few houses in the area. My mother got dry clothes for her and she used their phone (pre mobile phones) to call her mother, when she put my father on the phone to explain where we lived it turned out the girls mother and my father had gone to school together (rural Ireland, very typical). My fathers take on it all was -"its a good job there was a Clint Eastwood film on or I would have been in bed".

Same location a lad from a large family would end up sleeping in my mother’s porch the odd time, glass door unlocked before the front door, my mother never said a word. He was safe,dry and grand.

As regards the OP I’d have driven the girl home. And unless there are more details wouldn’t dream of calling the police.

Conniebygaslight · 05/01/2025 09:30

ShalalaIa · 05/01/2025 03:11

Everyone is worried about their own safety, but to have a child knock at your door is more worrying, and you have a man wirh you so you are safer than the child IMO. Imagine if this was the child messaging here and saying they were alone outside with no means to get home, we would all be saying find a friendly looking house and knock on the door wouldn't we?
@PrincessSakura thank you for helping them

Spot on. I would always help a child. Well done OP

YourAzureEagle · 05/01/2025 09:38

I had something similar happen almost a year ago. Doorbell rang at about 10.30 at night, pouring with rain outside.

Blonde girl stood on doorstep, could have been over 18, or could have been younger, tricky to tell.

She apologised for knocking, and asked if I had any alcohol in the house, as she was going to visit her ex and need a drink.

I said, no sorry, I don't and shut the door - she walked down the road glancing back at the house, didn't call anywhere else.

I'm a single, male, schoolteacher so was acutely aware not to let her in "never be alone etc.."

Never seen her before or since.... ... odd

Mumdiva99 · 05/01/2025 09:46

There is a scam whereby they just need a few pounds for the cab. Was common around here for a while.
Well done for helping a child in need. I would have been sceptical and thought distraction burglary.

BellissimoGecko · 05/01/2025 09:52

PrincessSakura · 05/01/2025 01:42

They are speaking with the police now.
We can’t do anymore than we have and I feel absolutely awful for them, no child should be in this position.

Well done for helping. Sounds like you did all you could. Poor girl.

BoudiccasBangles · 05/01/2025 10:02

Well done OP. This happened to us once. We lived in a small rural village and a 16ish year old knocked on our door in the middle of the night. We called the police and it turned out he’d been reported missing. The police turned up in a riot van at 7am to collect him. We’d not long been in the village - it caused some raised eyebrows with the new neighbours until they knew what had happened.

Longwaysouth · 05/01/2025 10:28

Well done OP. Hope you eventually got some sleep and tht the young person is safe.

Randomontheinternet25 · 05/01/2025 10:40

Did the child get sorted? Your last update was around 2am.

HappyKatieA · 05/01/2025 10:42

Well done, you did the right thing for that young person. I hope they're getting the help they need.

4forksache · 05/01/2025 10:59

I’d be frightened to sleep in case it’s all a big scam.

OurDreamLife · 05/01/2025 11:05

We had this happen but it was a boy who goes to my child’s school club. In the end we walked him home as he was refusing to go.

He came back and knocked again 10 minutes after we got home. It took me until midnight to get him to walk back with me as he kept saying he would be in trouble for being late.

I should have rang the police and social services from the start.

thescandalwascontained · 05/01/2025 11:18

PrincessSakura · 05/01/2025 01:42

They are speaking with the police now.
We can’t do anymore than we have and I feel absolutely awful for them, no child should be in this position.

No, they shouldn't, but you have helped put things right by taking the appropriate action in their best interest. Well done x

RB68 · 05/01/2025 11:37

sounds like you now have a plan. sometimes its tricky involving the Police as that can get them into more shit at home if that is the issue here. HOWEVER the Police can wangle that out of them and maybe able to signpost them or put them on a safeguarding programme that improves things. at that age there can be little shits BUT there can also be some incredibly vulnerable kids who are just that kids. You can only see on a case by case basis and trust your instincts

Gwenhwyfar · 05/01/2025 11:56

ShalalaIa · 05/01/2025 03:11

Everyone is worried about their own safety, but to have a child knock at your door is more worrying, and you have a man wirh you so you are safer than the child IMO. Imagine if this was the child messaging here and saying they were alone outside with no means to get home, we would all be saying find a friendly looking house and knock on the door wouldn't we?
@PrincessSakura thank you for helping them

I agree as long as you know the child is alone. They are sometimes used as decoys by burglars.

RampantIvy · 05/01/2025 12:06

What a lovely person you are @PrincessSakura
And thank goodness that you aren't one of the many mumsnetters who never answer the door to anyone ever.

I hope they are safe now.

catphone · 05/01/2025 12:25

ACR7 · 05/01/2025 07:32

What utter BS. Totally not true.

Show quote history

It happened in my experience. A number of times. Countless times

HowdyDoody2025 · 05/01/2025 13:11

ACR7 · 05/01/2025 07:32

What utter BS. Totally not true.

Show quote history

What a strange thing to say. Why would you call another poster's personal experience "BS"?

How rude

stomachamelon · 05/01/2025 13:25

@catphone that would explain a lot given your other thread. Sorry that's your experience.

Original poster
PrincessSakura · 05/01/2025 13:34

Hi all, the police escorted them home. The police know their circumstances and can hopefully give them the support they need.

OP posts: