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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour and police

85 replies

Clairesafatgirlsname · 06/07/2014 10:31

This is more of a what would you do/say?
A couple of weeks ago, my neighbour popped round (I don't know why) I was at work and DC were with my friend at her house. For some reason, and because no body answered the door, he assumed my children were alone and called the police. I had a visit from a PCSO about 10 minutes after getting home. This weekend I'm looking after a friends dog, she's been out in the garden so I suppose he's seen her. He came round yesterday and when he rang the bell, the dog began to bark, I put her in her cage, to answer the door, which took about 10-12 seconds but when I got to the door, there was no one there. The children, who were in the living room said 'that was the man from next door' so I went over and he told me he had come round to see if we had a new dog and say hello, he heard the children and because no one answered, he called the police. Would you have called the police in this situation? I don't think he was being unreasonable, but this all happened in a couple of minutes, I'm a bit worried about going to work this week in case he calls them again for whatever reason and I'm not home to deal with it. I should also mention, I told his wife last week that I'd have a dog in the house this weekend. WWYD?

OP posts:
wafflyversatile · 06/07/2014 10:33

He called the police a second time?

Original poster
Clairesafatgirlsname · 06/07/2014 10:34

Yes, he's called them twice.

OP posts:
Altinkum · 06/07/2014 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Birdsgottafly · 06/07/2014 10:36

How old are your children?

annebullin · 06/07/2014 10:36

Have they called round again? Surely they will be a bit fed up with him by now.

Nicknacky · 06/07/2014 10:38

I think I would explain to him that I would never leave the children alone and ask him why he thinks they are. Nothing much else you can do. The police aren't daft, they will see there is a misunderstanding although I appreciate it's not nice having to explain yourself.

Original poster
Clairesafatgirlsname · 06/07/2014 10:38

Yes, they came round, they left without taking any info when I explained what had happened. The children are 8&9

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 06/07/2014 10:38

OMG did it not occur to him that you could be in the bath or out in the garden?

ICanSeeTheSun · 06/07/2014 10:38

What are the ages of your children.

ICanSeeTheSun · 06/07/2014 10:40

Do they have sutisble childcare while you are in work.

8&9 in my opinion is too young to be left alone

Mabelface · 06/07/2014 10:41

The police will get fed up of him, I would think.

victrixludorem · 06/07/2014 10:41

What do you think might possibly be making your NDN behave this way?

LoveBeingInTheSun · 06/07/2014 10:42

Sounds like he is making excuses to call tgem

LadySybilLikesCake · 06/07/2014 10:42

Wow, he's going really over the top and is at risk of being 'told off' for wasting their time. You need to tell him to stop being so stupid over reacting. You're not obliged to open the door, even if you are in, and it doesn't mean you're leaving your children home alone (which isn't illegal in the UK by the way. There's no legal age limit for this and as long as they are responsible it's fine. I wouldn't leave a younger child though).

Original poster
Clairesafatgirlsname · 06/07/2014 10:44

That's what I thought, Giles. The children haven't been left alone, the first time he assumed they were as no one answered the door and the second time, I was in the house.

OP posts:
Altinkum · 06/07/2014 10:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Waltermittythesequel · 06/07/2014 10:44

8&9 in my opinion is too young to be left alone

Except that they weren't alone?!

I would tell him that the next time he does it, you're reporting him for harassment. It might make him back off.

What a waste of p

Waltermittythesequel · 06/07/2014 10:45

Dammit!

*police time!

Birdsgottafly · 06/07/2014 10:45

Are you leaving them and if do how long have you been doing that for, what length of time?

I would contact the Police on a local number and have a chat about it, if your neighbours concerns have no basis.

victrixludorem · 06/07/2014 10:46

Why are you worried about going to work next week? If the police call again, you tell them again that the DC were not alone. It may be annoying but it's no big deal. They will very soon get fed up with NDN.

Gileswithachainsaw · 06/07/2014 10:46

Surely of you suspected kids were home alone ten you'd knock again a few mins later. Or sit out in your garden for a bit, see if you can hear or see anyone.

You wouldn't call police because someone didn't answer the door, once when there's a hundred reasons why at that moment it would to have been possible.

It's not as of your an elderly frail neighbour he worried had fallen.

Gileswithachainsaw · 06/07/2014 10:47

Would not

ICanSeeTheSun · 06/07/2014 10:47

I don't know why he thought they was alone.

But if someone came here saying they suspected 2 young children under 9 was being left alone the advice would be to phone the police or SS.

Nanny0gg · 06/07/2014 10:48

Have you actually asked him why he's done this?

Does he watch over other neighbours in the same way?

magoria · 06/07/2014 10:48

Icanseethesun I think OP means when she is at work and the children are at school or child care.

The children were not in last time and he called the police saying they were alone!

If OP is at work, neighbour falsely reports kids alone and police turns up what can she do about it if not there?

Would they break into her house or what?

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