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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we shouldn’t still be waiting for the police?

278 replies

Shoeshow · 29/12/2019 18:53

4.45am this morning a car crashed through my front fence, hitting both our cars (parked on the road) in the process. The driver got out and ran away. We called the Police who said they would be out to us in an hour.

While waiting for them to arrive, at 6.30am, the driver/friend of the driver came back to try and get their car - we go outside and they run away again, locking their car as they do so. (Relevant as probably means it’s not stolen)

Police arrive around 10, have a look at the scene but are then called out to a more urgent job so leave. They were here a total of around 3 minutes, didn’t take any details and told us to go to the police station to complete a statement form, which we have done.

That’s it. Nothing else since.

The car is still in our front garden, smashed fence and car debris is all over the pavement and our car insurance won’t start the ball rolling until they know details of the other driver / if it is a stolen vehicle etc.

AIBU to think the car should have been recovered by now? We are worried they are going to try and come back to get their car in the night - and the only way they would succeed is by causing more damage to our fence and the cars (as they are blocking it in)

What are we suppose to do?

OP posts:
Vafanculo · 30/12/2019 05:18

Agreed Greyhound.

Email all details to your MP.

ForalltheSaints · 30/12/2019 06:23

The OP lives in East London. Cuts to the number of Met Police were made by Mr Johnson, to whom the blame should be made.

My thought of someone who left the scene (possibly twice) is that possibly they were over the limit).

Vafanculo · 30/12/2019 07:38

What if she lived in West London? This sort of thing wouldn't happen there is it?

Mummadeeze · 30/12/2019 07:50

Terrible state of affairs that our police service has been so damaged that there aren’t policemen available to deal with this right away. You are not being unreasonable at all. I remember a time when they would be all over incidents much more minor than this. Not good at all. And yes, I also blame the government, not the police.

Original poster
Shoeshow · 30/12/2019 08:40

@eveshopper It would have been dealt with at 10am yesterday when the police first visited, but they were called away before they had a chance to do anything here. It’s obviously took them from then until 1.30am this morning to get a chance to come back and finish the call out.

OP posts:
loutypips · 30/12/2019 08:59

Just had a thought. If it's a 'nice' car you could search the registration plate on Facebook.
Someone told me about it a couple of weeks ago, nothing came up on my crappy car, as I've never posted photos of it, but my partners car there were loads of pictures. Even ones other people had taken at events.

VerbenaGirl · 30/12/2019 09:05

The Police are so massively stretched at the moment, they have no choice. My friend’s son was knocked off his bike, several witnesses stating it was the driver’s fault and querying if she had been drinking, and the Police didn’t attend (fortunately Paramedics were there swiftly). They came and took statements 24 hours later. Far from ideal, but what can be done if there aren’t enough Police Officers to go around and no extra funding to improve things?

GreenTulips · 30/12/2019 10:07

My FS was also knocked off his bike. Luckily St John’s ambulance were waiting at the lights and attendees to him.
Police weren’t interested.

MadeForThis · 30/12/2019 10:50

So the tow company lied about being sent on the call to your house? And they own the car.

Check companies house and get a list of directors. Bet one of them, or their son is the driver.

You have your crime ref no so your insurance can take over.

Can't believe the cheek of the tow company.

Original poster
Shoeshow · 30/12/2019 11:12

@MadeForThis the car insurance is registered to a car repair company so I’m guessing the driver has called in a favour / owns the tow vehicle. That’s speculation of course, but the truck doesn’t belong to the company name they gave.

OP posts:
IdiotInDisguise · 30/12/2019 12:09

What about the damage to your house? Who pays for it? Are the police interested on that?

eveshopper · 30/12/2019 12:14

I would be absolutely fuming if the police came to my door at 1:30am to tell me basic information. I understand when it's a serious crime that they would do this but for what was basically administration there is no way they should be knocking at 1:30am.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 30/12/2019 12:44

@Greyhound22 I don't think people are saying OP is unreasonable more unrealistic. It is one of the things that astounds me with MN when you so often see ring 101 log it with the police for the slightest little thing. People don't seem to realise exactly how stretched the police are, not just in London but in most towns and cities.

FlamingoAndJohn · 30/12/2019 13:20

What a nightmare.
Just make sure you take lots of pictures.

M2B19 · 30/12/2019 17:52

We got burgled a few years ago whilst we were in bed. We woke up at 05:30 to everything’s electrical taken from downstairs, my purse ransacked and both our cars stolen. The police didn’t attend the scene until 11am and we were asked to wait upstairs and not touch anything until they’d been. It’s frustrating and ludicrous that police aren’t readily available to help but unfortunately this is what happens when police forces are diminished and spread too thin. I hope you get something sorted soon 😊

Yetanotherwinter · 30/12/2019 17:54

@Mummadeeze there are female officers too😉

manicmij · 30/12/2019 18:13

Whilst it will be low priority in the whole scheme of calls wouldn't the police want to find the driver to test for driving under the influence. Also to check if he/she was insured to drive. The owner, and the police can easily check that out, will be responsible for sorting out damage. You will have Reg Nos of vehicles and Ins. Co can find full details as well as Police. You will need incident report details from Police for insurance. Photos before and after. Lucky no one was injured. Just what you need for the New Year!

angelfacecuti75 · 30/12/2019 18:23

Dont ring 111 ring 101 111 is the nhs hotline 101 is the 1 for police

theflushedzebra · 30/12/2019 18:30

Op, its shit isn't it?

Someone smashed through our driveway wall, and into our car - and then drove away. Police didn't even visit - just gave us a crime no for insurance. So the car was sorted on insurance, and my DDad ended up rebuilding the wall (he loved doing stuff like that).

Because my insurance had no other insurance to claim from, it went down as my claim, luckily my no claims was protected - but it still pisses me off 9 years later.

So hopefully, in your case, the other driver's insurance company will sort this out for you - but it's all very stressful, and time consuming - and obviously not your fault at all.

(And no, I did not vote conservative.)

Original poster
Shoeshow · 30/12/2019 18:33

Feel like I have spent the whole day on the phone.

But - the car is gone! It ended up being towed by the police. The owners car insurance refused to do anything until they had spoken to the policy holder - who they were unable to get in contact with.

Police agreed it couldn’t be left as it was so they have had it towed.

They also called the council who came really quick once the car was moved, but were only able to clear the footpath and put it all in my garden.

Next door are council tenants so the council are arranging to clear their part of the mess and replace their fencing. Ours is up to us to sort out.

Both cars are write offs.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shoeshow · 30/12/2019 18:36

@theflushedzebra really shit. And you are right - so time consuming!

OP posts:
MyNameIsJane · 30/12/2019 18:40

That’s rotten, @shoeshow

busybarbara · 30/12/2019 19:06

You will eventually be able to reclaim the price of the fence repair from someone. The insurers are not allowed to just duck out of it.

SundayGirlB · 30/12/2019 19:06

YANBU but cuts mean this sort of thing is inevitable. Be angry at the government and let's hope they replace the 20k police they cut and then some.

loutypips · 30/12/2019 19:19

Can't keep blaming the cuts. Car crime has always been low priority for the police.
My dads van was stolen, along with £10,000 worth of tools back when labour were in power (approx 2003). Police didn't even come out. When it happened again a few months later, they weren't interested. Yet my aunts flat was broken into and a £20 vcr was knicked and it was like a scene on CSI.
Car crime is low priority unless it happens in front of the police.