Kit Malthouse wants people to call the police if they see more than 6 people eating supper next door

[Jourdain11]

Is it not dangerous to encourage people to behave like vigilantes?! I mean, okay, call the police if there's a massive house party - but if there were a group of people next door I'd personally want to give my neighbours the benefit of the doubt.

This is just encouraging snoopers and also is going to result in a massive waste of police time! I have a friend who is a police officer and she said during lockdown, the phone was ringing off the hook with important issues such as "I've seen Mrs James going out of her front door three times today"....

The op is inaccurate - it is not 'vigilantism' to report to the police FFS, a vigilante tackles crime directly.

If someone is breaking the law, it is fairly normal that some people will report the crime to the police.

Whether I personally would do this, is another matter.

@RepeatSwan

The op is inaccurate - it is not 'vigilantism' to report to the police FFS, a vigilante tackles crime directly.

If someone is breaking the law, it is fairly normal that some people will report the crime to the police.

Whether I personally would do this, is another matter.

The mindset is the same and who is to say that encouraging persecution (because that is what it could amount to) won't lead to people deciding they have some kind of right to tackle crime independently?

If we're going to get so hung up on semantics then I will also be calling out anyone who claims they are "literally sobbing and shaking" when they see more than 6 people eating supper next door...

A Government which brazenly intends to break a law they signed less than a year ago can take a running jump. I might make an exception if I saw Johnson, Cummings or any of his gang breaking the rules.

The mindset is not the same, at all.

Vigilantism is what it is. Reporting a crime to the police is something else.

It is not persecution to report crime either.

The question is really - should it be a crime in the first place? Is it a just law?

To be brutally honest, I'm not sure what level of respect is due someone who believes that law is a pick and mix lucky dip. Certainly not a level of respect where I would actually waste any time whatsoever listening to anything they had to say.

I'm sitting in the park looking at a group of about 12 people of all ages from baby to very elderly. They are spreading out picnic blankets and opening hampers and look very happy.

I wouldn't dream of reporting them. Let them enjoy their lovely time I say.

@Jourdain11

There are so many innocent situations which could be reported by zealots. For example, I take my daughter to a friend's house. They are a family of 5 and they happen to be all at home (or in the garden or whatever). I go to pick daughter up and friend's mum asks me in for 5 minutes. Hey presto, we've broken the rule of 6 and a bleary-eyed neighbour spotted this. No matter that by the time the police arrived both daughter and I would be long gone and having the police do a pointless house call is probably more Covid-risky than anything that happened before. (Not to mention that, ironically, it would also break the rule of 6 again...)

Exactly : well put!

I won't be reporting anyone.
The only person I have spoken to about it since March is a guy in his early 20's who hawked up and spat loads of phlegm on the pavement narrowly missing me and Dd. I jumped back, he barked: 'oh SOREEEE'. I ignored him, he got aggressive, shouting in my face. Not worth it.

And YES to the Govt getting us to grass each other up rather than be timely and clear in their advice with enough tests and PPE as needed

My tipping point for calling the police would be 20 cars on the drive or in the lane, and the house throbbing with music.

Ten people sitting calmly outside in someone's back garden having a quiet drink wouldn't even get noticed. There's a balance to be struck between civic responsibility and harmonious relations with my neighbours.

Kit Malthouse is my MP but I won't be acting as his spy unless something gets seriously out of hand.

I know people don't like to hear this and say the police wouldn't attend these complaints but they did in our road. A party of about 10 was being held and the police must have been called and turned up double quick. Party broken up and householders told off. No one fined tho as far as I am aware. In Essex.

No way will I report neighbours for having people over. I think that what people don’t realise is that others are going to remember how they acted during this time. There’s no amnesia pass for being batshit (which reporting someone for having a few people over would be) because of Coronavirus.

Anyone even remotely tempted to call the police on their neighbours needs to remember that the neighbours will still be there when this is all over
I won’t be I couldn’t care less what my neighbours are up to

You would have to be an almighty dick to call the police on your neighbours. Only on MN have I come across anybody who would actually do this.

What about large families? I imagine the Radfords' neighbours will be constantly on the phone what with there being 20+ kids!

@Hingeandbracket

Anyone eating “supper” needs reporting to Police immediately

Indeed. It's breakfast,dinner and tea, or nowt.

@Thurmanmurman

You would have to be an almighty dick to call the police on your neighbours. Only on MN have I come across anybody who would actually do this.

I think many people do do this, on and off Mumsnet. In fact probably more likely off Mumsnet.

I have in the past reported a serious fight. Would you really ignore that?

Reporting crime is sometimes necessary.

Whether this specific law is appropriate is another question.

OP says: Kit Malthouse wants people to call the police if they see more than 6 people eating supper next door

BBC headline: Report 'rule of six' breaches, minister urges. People should report their neighbours for any suspected breaches of new "rule of six" limits on social gatherings, the crime minister has said.

BBC story: Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether a person should report a gathering of seven or more in a neighbour's garden, Mr Malthouse said: "It is open to neighbours to do exactly that through the non-emergency number.
"And if they are concerned and they do see that kind of thing, then absolutely they should think about it."

What he means (IMO): “People should use their common sense”

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54142699

Thie argument was lost back in April at Barnard Castle. Boris and his merry band of marshalls can fuck right off!

Yep, despite the fact that we have been very observant of social distancing etc, and that it pisses me off when I see people acting like there's not a pandemic going on, the government has no moral authority and has been an appalling shambles. And even though I fucking hate the bloke next door, no way will I be grassing them up when their 3 kids and 2 partners, plus 2 GC, rock up on a Sunday afternoon.

It'll reinforce my belief that they're pretty fucking stupid though.

It's bloody ridiculous.

We're supposed to be having friends over with their 4 and 6 yo at the weekend, making 7 in total, but now people are being encouraged to report their neighbours DH doesn't want to.

Yet if we were in Wales or Scotland it would be fine.

@SeaDreaming what's "tea" then?

I’ve got no intention of phoning the police unless there’s a serious crime.

[quote MinnieMountain]@SeaDreaming what's "tea" then? [/quote]
Do you mean tea? Or tea tea?

Just saw 6 high school girls charging down our High Street, running away from another girl yelling "Go away, we're only allowed 6!"

Hmmm!

As far as I'm concerned, my neighbours could be doing a naked 20 person conga while wearing wellies around their house and garden and I wouldn't report them.
I'd probably join in.

Given that Kit Malthouse was on my TV this morning talking about how he plans to vote for a bill that breaks international law, he can take a fuck to himself, the hypocritical cunt.