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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why police knocked on our door at 2am?

42 replies

schmalex · 08/09/2021 09:28

We were woken at 2am by the doorbell ringing. It was the police, but as we were deeply asleep it took us a while to wake up and realise, and by the time we'd got to the door they had driven off.

We phoned 101 to find out what was going on and they said it was to do with the sale of a car and had we sold one recently? We haven't. Plus it's an odd thing to be investigating in the middle of the night!

What could be going on here? We own the house but have recently moved back in after letting it out for a few years. Should I be worried about what our tenants have been up to?

OP posts:
oneglassandpuzzled · 08/09/2021 13:40

They sometimes get the wrong address. We were drug-raided at 5am because their satnav took them to the wrong house. My husband is a former army officer and opened the door in his red flannel dressing gown. I could see them thinking something wasn't right. And we were able to tell them the drug dealer four doors up had left the village six months earlier. 😆

Nat6999 · 08/09/2021 14:05

I had the police hammering on my door at 11.00pm for a false accusation that was supposed to have happened 3 months previously but the person had only just decided to report. Ds & I were both in bed asleep.

Theunamedcat · 08/09/2021 14:15

I've had a 2am call also looking for my then partner (who didn't live with me) as he had been allegedly abusing his ex in town the previous afternoon I said he doesn't live here and he has been 300 ish miles away all week anyway training they demanded his number i gave the emergency contact number I had been given and hung up they called me back apparently the army dont like the police calling at 2am and told them to feel free to bring there arses up to the base so they can kick them back home again (he really wasn't polite about being woken up) I said what do you want me to do hold your coat? Stop calling me!

It was abit ridiculous in the end

CyberPixie · 08/09/2021 14:23

I had them at the door once at 4.50am banging the hell out of it just to tell us they'd found my sons bike which had been stolen. All my dogs were going mental barking. Seriously, they couldn't wait till normal hours.

Thatsjustwhatithink · 08/09/2021 14:33

Genuinely no idea why you would think anyone on Mumsnet would know the answer to such a specific question

Original poster
schmalex · 08/09/2021 14:39

Because someone might work for the police and know when they think it would be appropriate to knock in the middle of the night.
I assumed they would only do it if something terrible had happened, but that appears not to be the case from the helpful responses in here.

OP posts:
bamboocat · 08/09/2021 14:55

Not a knock on the door, but I once had the police phone me up in the dead of night.

"Hello, is that Mrs Bamboo Cat?"

".....er.... .... yes?"

"This is the police station in X Town in Y County. Are you the owner of a blue Ford, vehicle registration ABC 123 Z?"

"... Yes...?"

"Do you think you could you tell me where it is, madam."

"Well yes, it's parked outside my front door."

"Oh...... Er....... Would you like to just go and check?"

"Yes, it's foggy but I can see it there."

"Ok, thanks, sorry to have troubled you. Goodbye now."

I never did find out what that was all about.

Original poster
schmalex · 08/09/2021 15:04

@bamboocat how bizarre!

I don't understand how they can wake you up and scare the crap out of you in the middle of the night and then drive off with no explanation. I thought we might get a call today but nothing...

OP posts:
bamboocat · 08/09/2021 15:44

@schmalex I did chat to a friend some years later who happened to be a copper, and he said there was probably another vehicle with false plates on it that had been involved in some crime or other.

I suppose we should be grateful really, that they are out there 24/7.

LemonFantaGin · 08/09/2021 15:48

Drop into your local station and ask there.

girlmom21 · 08/09/2021 15:52

I assume they were looking for someone who had a car registered to your address.
It might be that a car has been stolen or plates cloned.

StoneofDestiny · 08/09/2021 16:53

Ring the local cop shop

Hellocatshome · 08/09/2021 16:58

The police knocked on our door once at around 2/3am to ask when we had last seen our neighbour as there was concern for his welfare. We told them we hadn't seen him for weeks (which wasn't unusual) the neighnour then appeared at the door as he had been woken by then blue flashing lights and talking. The police hadn't even knocked on his door first to see if he was in?! Confused

Caramelsmadfuzzytail · 08/09/2021 17:36

I was woken at 3am once. Bright light shining into my house, banging on the door. Woke everyone up and frightened the cat.
They were looking for some bloke with the same surname as me. I sent them to my exh's ex wife's house.

Horseradishsauce · 08/09/2021 18:43

@schmalex have you recently sold a car? And did you definitely tell DVLA you'd sold it?

I wonder if the new owner has put the wrong details/moved house without informing DVLA, the car has been involved in something/found abandoned/burned out and they needed the owner ASAP and wondered if you could confirm who you sold it to...

My partners name was spelt wrong on an old V5 - a common name but with a few spellings, but the spelling on the V5 was just plainly spelt wrong (I can't remember if we submitted the info or the dealership, the car was bought new - obv he wouldn't have spelled his name wrong, but either someone else submitted it wrong or it might have been typed incorrectly by someone at DVLA.) We moved house TWICE and informed the DVLA and each time with the correct spelling the new V5 came back with the wrong name. We don't have that car and it was a long time ago so might not be as easy to deliberately or accidentally spell/get info wrong on it now.

Original poster
schmalex · 08/09/2021 21:52

@Horseradishsauce No, not sold a car for over 3 years. But we have let the house out for a couple of years and I wonder if it is the tenant's car.
Anyway, the only update that I can get is that the police were dealing with an incident and seeking clarification of some information but it has now been resolved. I guess we will never know...

OP posts:
SweetBabyCheeses99 · 08/09/2021 22:19

Hmm I wouldn’t rule out something like…Police pull over a car for something dodgy. Turns out to be right because they’ve cloned your plates. They spin a story about having recently bought the car from you. Officers send someone round to yours to check. Not really an “emergency” but without your confirmation that it was bs, they may not have had sufficient justification to arrest/seize vehicle. Baddies prob got away with it but have hopefully stopped using your plates!
You could try some sort of FOI/GDPR request to the force to ask what records are held for your car’s number plate and your home address? Not sure if that’s a thing though.

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