To get a welfare check on my neighbors?

[Catsandkittens638297]

My neighbors are usually up all night till 3am with their kids (they had two young children) screaming, running about, crying and it was every night, the children would scream and cry when they argue. Our walls are so thin I could hear them walking about.
When we first moved in they where arguing and I swear she was shouting for help.
They argue quite alot usually in their language.
I used to see them about on the street quite alot to.
A couple of days before Christmas they where arguing quite badly early hours of the morning (2/3am. Im up with my toddler every night so I always hear it)
But since then iv not heard anything, it's radio silent, literally not a peep since before Christmas. Their car is still parked outside, there's things still in their garden too so I don't think they've moved.only thing that's changed is their shed door is open (not been burgled).

Would you get in touch with 101 to get a welfare check? Just feels abit weird to me.

@QueenOwl

Presumably the neighbours had informed the school that they were stuck in Albania therefore it only took one call to the school for the police to get that info. Hardly a massive investigative police project

All very neat and tidy.

At least you asked, better to be safe. (And proves that it's hard to tell languages apart through walls to those who said it's easy)

GDPR is about personal information. Like name, DOB, address. Being told that the family is trying to get back from Albania is hardly dispensing any personal information!

My name is very unusual. So my name (only one in the UK) is protected by GDPR.

There are lots of Joan Smiths so that name is not protected by GDPR.

@SciFiScream

GDPR is about personal information. Like name, DOB, address. Being told that the family is trying to get back from Albania is hardly dispensing any personal information!

My name is very unusual. So my name (only one in the UK) is protected by GDPR.

There are lots of Joan Smiths so that name is not protected by GDPR.

I wouldn't want any information given out about me to anyone that wasn't family. The info we have learned is that they are in Albania and we didn't know that before, or that they couldn't get home quickly. That to me is my personal info.

However if the school said it was ok for the police to tell OP this then I guess that's ok.

@mum11970

Don’t think the police can do anything other than knock on the door. Sounds like they’ve gone away, the smell would let you know if anything terrible had happened to them inside the flat.

Unfortunately that's not true. There are plenty of stories of people dying at home and laying undiscovered for ages. @mum11970

Glad they are safe op, but once they're back if you hear anything that sounds worrying in future I think that you should report it. Or maybe try and become friendly with the woman so she knows she can speak to you if she needs help. I grew up with an abusive dad and I don't know if neighbours ever heard anything but nobody ever checked on us, and from my perspective as a child I felt like nobody cared. I know people don't like to interfere but if anyone in that house is actually scared or in physical danger, it's just better to be safe than sorry I think. I hate to think of the kids possibly being frightened in their own home and especially if English isn't the parents first language and they're not familiar with the systems here, they might not be sure how to access support if they need it.

As for police breaking gdpr, it seems likely to me that the neighbours said they were happy for this information to be passed on. If I went on holiday and found out through the police that my neighbour had been concerned of my whereabouts, I know I'd have said "yes let them know I'm away at X and stuck because of the restrictions" etc. If there was any reason I didn't want it known then I would have made that clear. We don't know what happened here so I wouldn't be quick to jump to conclusions of thinking the police had broken the law!

@BaggoMcoys

As for police breaking gdpr, it seems likely to me that the neighbours said they were happy for this information to be passed on. If I went on holiday and found out through the police that my neighbour had been concerned of my whereabouts, I know I'd have said "yes let them know I'm away at X and stuck because of the restrictions" etc. If there was any reason I didn't want it known then I would have made that clear. We don't know what happened here so I wouldn't be quick to jump to conclusions of thinking the police had broken the law!

If they were neighbours I was friendly with they would know where I was on holiday. Random neighbours I didn't know I would just say 'tell them we are ok'. And be a bit bemused.

But yes, in this scenario we have no way of knowing what the neighbours told school what the school told the police etc.

The police would be highly unprofessional if they only got verbal permission to tell the OP where they are, as it's literally their word against the neighbours.

Plus for all the police know the OP could be a debt collector, someone with ill intentions or anyone for that matter.

• The info we have learned is that they are in Albania and we didn't know that before, or that they couldn't get home quickly. That to me is my personal info. *

Yes, but you've not learned anything that will allow you to identify them.

@MrsExpo

Keep us posted OP. Sounds worrying.

Um. She has.

@WorraLiberty

The police would be highly unprofessional if they only got verbal permission to tell the OP where they are, as it's literally their word against the neighbours.

Plus for all the police know the OP could be a debt collector, someone with ill intentions or anyone for that matter.

I agree.

The real police 🚨👮‍♂️🚔🚔 wouldn't tell you that information.
But the online police might 🚨😂🚨😂

Telling the OP that the neighbours were trying to fly back from Albania and that they were safe and well is not breaking GDPR. FFS. Good job OP, I think you were right just to double check. My DM neighbour (not NDN) has just been found dead in his home - they think he'd been dead for 2 weeks or so. No family. His direct NDN thought he'd gone away for Xmas. Poor man

It's not necessarily bad that the police told OP where they are. Our old neighbours were in France for a month or so, something we didn't know until we had to call the police because their house alarm was ringing continually.

They told us where they were, the name of the lady who would be coming down with a key to switch it off and that our neighbours said thanks for contacting the police and sorry for the inconvenience.

Yes, but you've not learned anything that will allow you to identify them. Apart from the fact that they’re currently out of the country and you are therefore free to rob them un-disturbed.

So, burglar drives round the area a few times, notices that neighbours appear to be quiet. “Hello PC Plod, I’m a concerned neighbour, I haven’t seen my neighbours around for several weeks now.” “Thank you for ringing, we’ll check around, will ring school, and if we get no answer we’ll come round and break the door down.”

And then, less than an hour later, “hello Mrs concerned neighbour, this is PC plod. Just to let you know that the family are currently in Albania waiting to come home.”

And then the house is free to be burgled at any point.

Added to which, the police aren’t even that quick to come back when it’s an actual crime.

@AlternativePerspective

Yes, but you've not learned anything that will allow you to identify them. Apart from the fact that they’re currently out of the country and you are therefore free to rob them un-disturbed.

So, burglar drives round the area a few times, notices that neighbours appear to be quiet. “Hello PC Plod, I’m a concerned neighbour, I haven’t seen my neighbours around for several weeks now.” “Thank you for ringing, we’ll check around, will ring school, and if we get no answer we’ll come round and break the door down.”

And then, less than an hour later, “hello Mrs concerned neighbour, this is PC plod. Just to let you know that the family are currently in Albania waiting to come home.”

And then the house is free to be burgled at any point.

Added to which, the police aren’t even that quick to come back when it’s an actual crime.

I was referring to the poster who said what they had learnt. Possibly I read it the wrong way, who knows. I've got half a mind on it, as believe it or not, I'm in the midst of a GDPR issue.

If the Police have indeed told the OP that info though, they are tossers. And I agree on the speed they came back, they are never that quick when an actual crime has been committed (unless it's a lockdown breach or someone having a pop on Twitter).

I only have GDPR as it was the first thought re security TBF. I seem to have opened up a can of GDPR worms and hair splitting. 😂

If it’s not GDPR I’m sure it’s something else for the reasons @AlternativePerspective gave.

My neighbours went to Australia for 6 weeks and never mentioned it. Never occurred to me to worry.

All those talking about breach of confidentiality.

I made a referral to adult safeguarding. They spoken with the vulnerable adult who declined support. They asked if it was okay to feed back to me. The person concerned said yes. AS feedback to me.

It really is common practice in our area when the concerned person hasn't asked for anonymity to ask the person they're concerned about for consent to update them.

@SciFiScream

GDPR is about personal information. Like name, DOB, address. Being told that the family is trying to get back from Albania is hardly dispensing any personal information!

My name is very unusual. So my name (only one in the UK) is protected by GDPR.

There are lots of Joan Smiths so that name is not protected by GDPR.

I don’t really follow what this means in practise with regards to your name. What can or can’t someone do? There are two people with my name in the U.K.

@hotpotlover

There was a travel ban on flights from the UK to most European countries before Christmas. How were they supposed to leave just before Christmas?

There are ways to get to Poland without flying , lots of people drive.

Quite a long drive to Albania.

Having been to Albania I think I'd rather be there then here right now.

@Sparklingbrook

Quite a long drive to Albania.

Yes, that was when op said they were Polish.

It"s great that you showed concern for your neighbours, OP. If only there were more like you. I'm glad they are not unsafe or anything like that.

I'm tired of all the pompous posters determined to pick apart posts like this one; those that crow when they think they're catching someone out, the 'told you so' thumbing the nose ones. Have these people nothing better to do. If there's nothing constructive to add, why bother.