To find this behaviour a bit suspicious, or am I over thinking it?

[AlexaShutUp]

We live at the end of a quiet residential cul de sac. There was a car parked outside our house today while DH was working in the front garden. A young guy was sitting in the car. DH spoke to the guy briefly (he chats to everyone!) and the guy mentioned that there was a problem with his car. He also said that he was an engineering student at the local university. All fine.

DH came back inside but soon became slightly preoccupied by what the guy was doing. He was carrying two quite large plastic containers - the kind that you might use for petrol or similar - away from the car. He went round the corner into the next street. He then came back and carried two more containers in the same way. Then two more and so on, until it was at least 12-14 large containers in total. It didn't look like he was struggling with the weight in any way, so they may have been empty.

I was going out to the gym anyway, which requires me to walk up the same side road. I saw that there was another car parked around the corner, about 3/4 mins walk from our house. The back seat was rammed full of these containers. Nobody else was around. The guy was back at his first car at this point, presumably collecting more containers.

If he had a problem with his car and just wanted to transfer the contents, there was plenty of space right next to the first car where he could have parked, so I found it weird that he would park right round the corner. Having said that, he was moving the containers in broad daylight, so it didn't look like he was trying to hide anything. There was just something really odd about the whole thing. He was wearing plastic gloves and a mask if it makes any difference.

When I returned from the gym later, the second car was gone, the first was still there. AIBU to find this behaviour a bit odd and to wonder what he was doing, or am I just overthinking it? DH is quite suspicious by nature, so I may be being unduly influenced by him!!

And if you do think it's suspicious, what if anything would you do?

Definitely odd. A possible scenario, though, is he was collecting something (Freecycle, Ebay etc) and parked up in the wrong place, and then found his car wouldn't start. I'm struggling to create a suspicious scenario though. Carrying out anything "dodgy" in this way surely increases the probability of getting caught as takes longer and visible to more people. Unless perhaps there is CCTV in the second street and he didn't want his number plate noted?

Someone I know is asking for large plastic bottles like that in order to make a raft for the local raft race. I bet it's something like that!

If you suspect it was large amounts of petrol In these containers I would report in case he is making explosives.

Did the containers seem empty eg did they look heavy. If empty I’m going with raft.

That is unusual behaviour, no suggestions about what it might be but worth keeping an eye out if it happens again.

Odd. I'd have maybe wrote the number plate down incase anything came of it later on, but other than that shrugged it of and forgot about it.

Could be a teacher or scout leader with a project in mind. Been seen collecting many an odd thing in my time as a scout leader.
Or
It could be dodgy. Don't the police have a number for suspicious behaviour? That isn't 999

Have you checked the regi plate is real? You can on gov website

I have rang the police non-emergency number 101 many times about suspicious things - giving number plates - you never know what they may be linked to - the police may have other incidents on record the plates are linked to. Terrorism is an issue we all need to try and be aware of. I live in a cul-de-sac and always go and ask questions - I don't worry about coming across as inquisitive - I am and I like to know what's going on in the area I live in - I've interrupted illegal dumping of contaminated waste water from a tanker down a drain once but also come across near neighbours who needed help.

Liquid meth.

@doingadisservice

Could be a teacher or scout leader with a project in mind. Been seen collecting many an odd thing in my time as a scout leader. Or It could be dodgy. Don't the police have a number for suspicious behaviour? That isn't 999

I really can't tell if this is ironic - do the police have a non emergency number?

You can't be a proper member here if you don't know 101 and suggest it on every thread

Or are you non UK?

really can't tell if this is ironic - do the police have a non emergency number?
Me neither but it made me laugh one way or another!

Was he moving them into another car?

Could it have been raw ingredients for a restaurant or takeaway? Our family has a takeaway and the cars are jammed on market day. You wouldn't believe the amount of boxes of bean sprouts you need .

He was probably doing something engineeringy

Ironic

I would report to 101. If the guy is innocent he won't mind in the slightest. I wouldn't want to live with the devastation I would feel if I didn't and something god awful happened.
It came out in the inquest that Salman Abedi was doing similar with cars before the Manchester Arena attack but no one reported even though it was suspicious.

Can anyone explain why he would walk with the containers round to the other car? And not just move the car