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What is this white powder outside my house and what should I do?

88 replies

mysteriousdeposit · 17/08/2026 20:25

I will attach a photo of a pile of white powder outside my house. Anyone know what it could be/why?

I live on an estate of hundreds of cookie cutter houses. Ordinary town. The houses are not cheap, but they are also not a £million. Lots of older people live here - they bought in the late 90s when the place was built, had a couple of kids who left home and the parents just stayed. So quite quiet. Some families, including us. Ordinary place.

Outside my house, there is a path/driveway. You can use it to walk between 2 of the estate roads, but you can't drive between them as there is a bollard on the footpath preventing this. You can drive in and get to my driveway and 4 other houses. So only vehicles coming to/from the houses such as our own cars/delivery drivers/trades would drive down here. But many people would walk with dogs, kids whatever.

The bush in the photo is mine. It's cut reasonably, it shouldn't be pissing anyone off or anything. I don't piss anyone off or argue with anyone over anything. It's not a place where anyone would park, unless someone had several visitors at once.

Other than this, at the entrance to the path/driveway by the road, there is a symbol, like a chalk outline in the shape of a lollypop or magnifying glass.

I don't think someone could have got out with shopping and dropped flour by accident as you wouldn't park up against the bush, you'd park on your own drive.

Amazon have been today, but they don't make a habit of chucking white stuff about!

I have a small dog so I am a bit pissed off about this and not keen on going to clear up random fucking powder, or having it blowing about by my property.

Any ideas?

What is this white powder outside my house and what should I do?
OP posts:
Meteorite87 · 17/08/2026 22:36

Christ0nABike · 17/08/2026 22:08

It’s blown into lines, you say? Best keep an eye out for Beryl at no7 bending down with a rolled up bank note.

County division lines? 😉

Blueberrybonanza · 18/08/2026 07:04

Pablo Escobar 🤣🤣
Loving the side convo re: cocaine and the naivety of drug amounts, although some of you are def clued up 😏
Sod the flour and running clubs, although the roller skates whilst odd could be a new take on trainers over a telephone wire..

Theotheron · 18/08/2026 11:37

Spilled flour will be popular with vermin.

mysteriousdeposit · 18/08/2026 12:26

Theotheron · 18/08/2026 11:37

Spilled flour will be popular with vermin.

That is quite annoying as there is also a pond quite nearby and sometimes we see rats there 😫

OP posts:
Highonmyownsupply · 18/08/2026 12:54

Our neighbourhood has this too. I thought it was some sort of disinfectant after dog poo! Marking a running route makes sense to me now.

GreenFootstool · 18/08/2026 12:56

mysteriousdeposit · 18/08/2026 12:26

That is quite annoying as there is also a pond quite nearby and sometimes we see rats there 😫

Go and brush it up then.

PirateMemoryGame · 18/08/2026 13:32

Piles like this plus arrows and other marks have appeared all over the footpaths around our village this week, I've seen them several miles away in all directions.

RamALamADingDong2 · 18/08/2026 17:45

ShakyBake · 17/08/2026 20:39

Has your husband/partner showed any signs of withdrawal recently or mood swings (from one extreme to another)? I'll get to the point, could your husband be taking cocaine and he fallen over on the drive after inhalation? You can pick up a drug testing kit (goes different colour to indicate which substance) for less the £7

I can't stop laughing at this 😂

Namechangerage · 18/08/2026 17:47

ShakyBake · 17/08/2026 20:44

I only wish it was pimplebum, a good friend of mine (of 20years) had a husband who was a secret drug user and she had no idea until the police caught him on the roof one day but I won't go into details. Drug use amongst the middle class is the highest it has ever been

But to leave a pile like that would be quite something 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Namechangerage · 18/08/2026 17:48

RamALamADingDong2 · 18/08/2026 17:45

I can't stop laughing at this 😂

me neither, hilarious!!

rwalker · 18/08/2026 17:53

ShakyBake · 17/08/2026 20:39

Has your husband/partner showed any signs of withdrawal recently or mood swings (from one extreme to another)? I'll get to the point, could your husband be taking cocaine and he fallen over on the drive after inhalation? You can pick up a drug testing kit (goes different colour to indicate which substance) for less the £7

The only way he would have that amount would be be if he was linked to some Colombian cartel smuggling ring

YouSawBrigadoon · 18/08/2026 17:54

I’d honestly not give a hoot about this.

If it’s bothering you, get a dustpan and brush.

hobbledyhoy · 18/08/2026 17:55

BasiliskStare · 17/08/2026 22:00

Leaving the running club marker to one side for a moment , the circle with the line attached is a marker councils use for utilities.

The white casserole dish , roller skates and white bowl I can only assume are left over from some drug fuelled treasure hunt . I can think of no other explanation.

😂

AnonSugar · 18/08/2026 17:57

ShakyBake · 17/08/2026 20:39

Has your husband/partner showed any signs of withdrawal recently or mood swings (from one extreme to another)? I'll get to the point, could your husband be taking cocaine and he fallen over on the drive after inhalation? You can pick up a drug testing kit (goes different colour to indicate which substance) for less the £7

That amount of cocaine isn’t something the average Joe would just have lying around 😂

RedFatball · 18/08/2026 17:59

Google Hash House Harriers - they set running trails with blobs of flour. Sometimes they are setting on the run and accidentally use too much

source - have set runs for the hash and dropped half a bag by mistake once

BakedBeeeen · 18/08/2026 18:00

Yes to running club - it’s an environmentally friendly was of marking a route! It is a big lump though - the marker person must have been a bit clumsy!

AnonSugar · 18/08/2026 18:00

chocoluv · 17/08/2026 21:18

I thought you were joking!!

This would be hundreds of pounds worth of cocaine!

No drug addict is going to leave that there, they would be scooping it up as much as they could.

Snorting it right off the pavement 😂

RedFatball · 18/08/2026 18:01

Could the roller skates be the words ON ON? Also a Hash marking

YoungSoak · 18/08/2026 18:03

This thread is peak Mumsnet

Husbands with secret cocaine addictions, county lines.

Best do a Claire’s Law check on the pile too, just in case

Letsskidaddle · 18/08/2026 18:04

Wash it away and then pour a load of flour in a couple of different places on the opposite side of the road.

If a load of runners arrive and go running round in circles you’ll know what it is.

Shedmistress · 18/08/2026 18:13

What is wrong with chalk? These poshos eh?

iveseenthefilms · 18/08/2026 18:14

It’s marking the route for a run/walk.

Honestly!

EasternStandard · 18/08/2026 18:14

MotherPooperior · 17/08/2026 21:44

That heap would be about £10k worth of cocaine, I doubt it's fallen out of her husband's nose 😂

That made me laugh.

op what is it, flour?

HoldingOntoMySanity · 18/08/2026 18:19

It;s a runners club, hashing.

I used to belong for about 15 years in a variety of countries. The hares who would go out the day before to do it would on occasion be held in custody depending which countries we were in. (Balkans and Eastern Europe) because it alarmed people. We stopped using flour during the various anthrax scares. I think Hashers nowadays really ought to alert residents in the current age of various shit happening around the world.

CheeseAndSaladCreamSandwich · 18/08/2026 18:24

What is it? Flour
What should you do? Be less paranoid would be my suggestion

Drug users and dealers are a little more careful with their supplies.

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