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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mad as hell

78 replies

LemonSherbet18 · 14/07/2018 21:42

This afternoon I was having a snooze when the police broke into the house. Apparently they had been knocking for some time (I didn't hear a thing). They had come around as some neighbours said they hadn't seen me in a while, to be clear we're not close and can go months without seeing one another. When I asked the police which neighbours they said they wanted to be anonymous.
Now I have a boarded up door to pay for, replacement of the glass and a passageway covered in bits of glass...goes to get dustpan and brush

OP posts:
LEMtheoriginal · 14/07/2018 21:44

Wtf?

DesignStatement · 14/07/2018 21:47

What should the police have done with the information they received? Sounds like everybody was concerned for your welfare.

HoleyCoMoley · 14/07/2018 21:47

I would contact the police for an explanation, you would have been left a number to call and a case number. Did the police arrange for the door to be made safe. Are you a vulnerable person.

Halfblindbunny · 14/07/2018 21:49

Do you have hearing problems? The police dont knock quietly when doing welfare checks.

Padparadscha · 14/07/2018 21:55

Do the police really bash down doors after knocking a few times on the say-so of a neighbour? Are you considered vulnerable in anyway? Very bizarre thing to have happened.

BackforGood · 14/07/2018 22:10

All does sound a bit strange.
I like an afternoon nap myself, but would hear the level of banging on the door that would happen before anybody felt the need to break it down.
Is there more detail you might be adding later?

kazillionaire · 14/07/2018 22:56

To be fair I would have slept through that, I am a very deep sleeper and have to be physically shaken to be woken up - saved a fortune on alarm clocks though!

Original poster
LemonSherbet18 · 14/07/2018 23:02

No I'm not a vulnerable person, just a very heavy sleeper especially as I haven't been sleeping well in the heat, so when I do I'm dead to the world

OP posts:
PeanutButterLips · 15/07/2018 11:40

A few years ago my neighbour over the road rang the police and said they hadn't heard their neighbour through the wall for a while.
He would always be whistling (v.loud) and singing , you would always hear him.
They came out at nighttime and I heard a window being smashed after a lot of knocking , all neighbours come out wondering what was going on!
The neighbour who rang the police said they were worried as they hadn't heard him for a while, we all waited on the path hoping the police weren't going to find a dead body.
Turns out he had gone to his daughters for a little stay and was furious when he got back to a smashed window.
So it can happen.

HoleyCoMoley · 15/07/2018 12:33

I find it very odd that the police would just break in because someone who had no medical or social needs is quiet for a few days, that means they could break in to everyone's house who was out, on holiday, in the bath, asleep. I would also want to know who reported it just in case it was malicious. You can't claim on house insurance for this either.

Elliebobbins · 15/07/2018 12:43

One time when the neighbours were arguing terribly, I came out of the bathroom a short while later to find a policeman stood in my house. They had obviously been given the wrong address. I would have heard it if they had knocked. I now always have the door locked. My sister's boyfriend once opened the door to be pinned against the wall by police, as the police had been given the wrong address for a report of domestic violence. I guess their response depends upon the perceived severity of the reported incident but they do not always knock.

In your case, if you can't find out who reported it (which is understandable) I would at least want to know why there was such concern for your safety and I would wonder if there was some malice behind the report.

Elliebobbins · 15/07/2018 12:45

I hope you are able to repair the damage. It might be an inconvenience for some people but for others with very little disposable income it would be a complete nightmare.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 15/07/2018 12:48

Pretty sure if the police break your door down in good faith, or even if in error, for a welfare concern, they pay to replace it. Obviously not if they are legitimately arresting you which they weren’t in your case.

DGRossetti · 15/07/2018 12:49

Now I have a boarded up door to pay for

A nice letter to your police authority might shame them into paying, but they are under no obligation as they acted "in good faith".

Kursk · 15/07/2018 12:52

I always assumed that the police paid for the damage.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 15/07/2018 12:56

Have they given you the paperwork detailing the statute under which they operated? Does it not mention anything there? If not call 101 and explain the situation and they should be able to direct you to the appropriate legal division at NSY. You will probably have to pay for it and then claim it back.

DGRossetti · 15/07/2018 12:56

I always assumed that the police paid for the damage.

They are not obliged to if they act "in good faith". It's buried somewhere in the PACE acts.

Oliversmumsarmy · 15/07/2018 12:58

Friend was cooking tea in the kitchen. Cooker was in direct sight of the front door.

No knocking to check. Just an axe through the front door.

Fire brigade had the wrong house.

She said even when they could clearly see her with spoon in hand yelling for them to stop they didn't stop till.the front door was like matchsticks

LakieLady · 15/07/2018 12:59

I always assumed that the police paid for the damage.

Someone (ex-GF, we think) made a malicious allegation about my friend's son dealing drugs and the police smashed their way in. They also smashed through two internal doors that they could have just unbolted (she used to bolt them because her dog could open doors).

She was in a council house, and the bill to replace the front door and the two internal ones was nearly a grand. She couldn't get any money from the police because they "had been acting in good faith".

She was bloody furious.

tenterden · 15/07/2018 13:01

Surely the police will pay for the damage? Confused OP shouldn't have to.

InsomniacAnonymous · 15/07/2018 13:02

Oliversmumsarmy Who paid for your friend's door to be replaced?

quizqueen · 15/07/2018 13:25

I find it strange that the police even bothered to come out for something like this. They usually don't seem to care what happens to innocent members of the public!

HoleyCoMoley · 15/07/2018 13:36

I've never heard of the the police paying, if there is someone in need of help and the door is broken into they will arrange for an emergency repair and locksmith but you get the bill. Don't know who pays if the person found has died. Insurance won't pay because it was to preserve life. I don't understand why they won't tell you who reported it, they say they were anon, that would make me suspicious straight away, don't they keep recordings of telephone calls.

Redundancy1 · 15/07/2018 13:42

OP what a mare!

one of my friends had this in a situation where they suspected criminal activity and got the wrong house. She couldn't get them to pay for the door either.

Also, hate to say it, but some idiotic friends of my parents nearly did this to someone they hadn't seen for a while, they only stopped short of calling police because a neighbour reported seeing a visitor.

Sadly I think people are such nosey fuckers, if you are in a position like this, you need to be "seen".

hopefully whoever it was will come forward and apologise.

Redundancy1 · 15/07/2018 13:43

PS the woman in my parents case was known to have officially withdrawn from social life etc and has asked to be left alone several times.

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