Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours cooking us alive ….

359 replies

DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 08:36

We live in a freezing but lovely townhouse/tenement /high ceiling, bay but single glazed flat.
It’s been freezing since Before Time
Heating is rubbish and often wear layers to keep warm/survive

About 3 months ago : we got new downstairs neighbours

They did a lot of building work and at first , we thought by the heat and the noise- that they were drying plaster or similar with industrial heaters of some sort ?
Turns out no: they are just from a much warmer country and have their heating on 24/7 !?

My eyeballs are drying out. It’s like a Sahara now
I’ve windows open constantly , but at least my washing dries quickly …

Is it even SAFE to have heating on 24/7? What kind of heating rattles a whole room? My cats are just lying in pools on the floor!

AIBU - you’ll age by dehydration, your cats will eventually jump out of the wide open windows , the noise will drive you mad , it’s bad for the environment
YABU- enjoy the heat ,for once - make a cocktail chillax, throw away your onesies as you won’t need them this winter.

OP posts:
Original poster
DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 13:12

So I had a quick nosey. Two sets of blinds shut. At mid day. Both front rooms Confused

OP posts:
BackBackBack · 08/11/2021 13:14

crimestoppers-uk.org/campaigns-media/campaigns/report-cannabis-cultivation

You can report anonymously. Please do.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 08/11/2021 13:15

Phone the non-emergency line, ask to be anonymous. If only because there is a on-going fire risk if they have tampered with the electrics and you are directly above it so in considerable danger if there is a fire.

If the police check up on it either it will be a family who feel the cold and you will be reassured that you won't be burned in your sleep, or it will be a cannabis farm which will be shut down and made safe and you won't be burned in your sleep.

Original poster
DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 13:15

*And to everyone quick to dial for the police - no way. I’m in by myself most of the day with my tiny baby! Imagine some pissed off Eastern European ganders appeared?
I’ll rage my chances and just plan a fire escape route I think.
Maybe the electric and gas companies will think it’s crazy and go investigate

OP posts:
Horst · 08/11/2021 13:16

They could be making smaller rooms within rooms for different stages of the grow or trying to hide entire rooms/ parts of the rooms to make them look smaller for if anyone did enter the property.

It is seriously a huge fire risk, the by passing of the electric meter at step one, the sheer amount of cabling they will be running for warmth, lights, fans they will be Daisy chaining extension leads.

A flat is actually a really good place for a grow because they won’t ever be the ones with the clear roof when it’s snows/ices because they are the bottom floor.

Horst · 08/11/2021 13:17

Also honestly they wouldn’t come after you. It’s not worth it to them. They will have so many of these set ups they just abandon ones that get caught out and go to the next.

JS87 · 08/11/2021 13:21

OP there may not be an escape route in the event of a significant fire. What if you can’t get to your baby or they die of smoke inhalation before you do.
The crime stoppers link is anonymous. They won’t know it’s you and when the police bust the flat and arrest them they can’t get to you anyway. Why not ask a friend to report them instead if you are concerned. As it’s anonymous they won’t have to leave an address so there is no way you can be traced.
I’m sure there’s a mumsnetter who would do it for you

politics4me · 08/11/2021 13:23

Keep reading your meters and make sure they are not stealing your electricity somehow.
Enjoy your day, nothing this exciting happens where I live.

TheUser420 · 08/11/2021 13:23

@Thefuturestory

The cannabis smell would only be in the final weeks of growth. Takes about 3 months to mature. Get your nose ready!
Unless they've got proper filtration and extraction. Although if that were the case, they'd be more likely to be using LED panels for growing. Which wouldn't throw out anywhere near that heat (and is cheaper to run too).
DobbyTheHouseElk · 08/11/2021 13:25

Well you have a choice. Report anonymously and do the right thing, or do nothing and risk a fire.

I know what I’d do.

Tigger85 · 08/11/2021 13:29

Those saying to op to report incase it's a cannabis farm, the police won't do a thing, they don't care about people growing cannabis. My neighbour is growing it in their garage which is connected to our garage, we reported him, there's a small hole in the wall so we were able to take photos of his plants, police don't care and are doing nothing. It also does stink continuously not just when they are harvesting it.

CaptainMyCaptain · 08/11/2021 13:32

@Tigger85

Those saying to op to report incase it's a cannabis farm, the police won't do a thing, they don't care about people growing cannabis. My neighbour is growing it in their garage which is connected to our garage, we reported him, there's a small hole in the wall so we were able to take photos of his plants, police don't care and are doing nothing. It also does stink continuously not just when they are harvesting it.
That isn't true everywhere. Places like that do get raided but your Police may have a reason for not acting straight away. In the OP's case I'd be more concerned about the potential danger of fire than the actual cannabis - and obviously the possible trafficking issue as well.
ADreadedSunnyDay · 08/11/2021 13:33

Surprised this thread hasn't been picked up by the newspapers yet

milkyaqua · 08/11/2021 13:34

I'd rather quietly report them than risk being burnt to a crisp or trapped in the smoke with a tiny baby.

BackBackBack · 08/11/2021 13:36

@Tigger85 try the Crimestoppers link I posted above and note in the form you have previously reported to the local police but nothing was done.

OP, I think you are being extremely foolhardy. You are banking on being able to get out in the event of a fire, risking the life of your baby, gambling on the fact that none of you will be overcome by smoke. All for the sake of an anonymous report to Crimestoppers which could also potentially save someone who could be a victim of modern slavery. You don't have to tell Crimestoppers who you are, where you live or how you have come to be suspicious. You simply say that the flat has it's blinds down all the time, one young lad living on his own, and there is constant vibration noise.

Pascal80 · 08/11/2021 13:36

It sounds like a professional grow. I would contact your landlord directly today as a matter of urgency and ask them to check on that flat. You can tell them your suspicions and the landlord will take it from there and liaise with police.

Tigger85 · 08/11/2021 13:37

@CaptainMyCaptain

I hope the police will be more likely to act if op reports due to her being in a flat and less likely to be able to safely escape. If my neighbours farm caught on fire it would burn both our garages down, ours has camp gas bottles and a motorbike inside, we have two wodden sheds that are directly behind the garage that would also catch fire and our garage roof is also only a few inches away from your kitchen extension so a good chance it would spread to our house too. But we also have multiple escape routes should the worst happen. The police even told me when I non anonymously reported that it's not enough to go on and isn't worth their time.

MRex · 08/11/2021 13:37

@DaisyStiener

*And to everyone quick to dial for the police - no way. I’m in by myself most of the day with my tiny baby! Imagine some pissed off Eastern European ganders appeared? I’ll rage my chances and just plan a fire escape route I think. Maybe the electric and gas companies will think it’s crazy and go investigate
They wouldn't take the risk, you dial 999 and they get arrested instead of drifting off around the rest of their grow farms. How will you feel if someone's killed in a fire?
Original poster
DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 13:43

@ADreadedSunnyDay because it would be dangerous if true.

And it’s all conjecture really…

My flats just hot. That’s all I know Grin

OP posts:
Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 08/11/2021 13:44

Sorry to say op - it’s defo a drugs farm

SilenceOfThePrams · 08/11/2021 13:45

@DaisyStiener

*And to everyone quick to dial for the police - no way. I’m in by myself most of the day with my tiny baby! Imagine some pissed off Eastern European ganders appeared? I’ll rage my chances and just plan a fire escape route I think. Maybe the electric and gas companies will think it’s crazy and go investigate
They won’t know you’ve reported them. But that teenager is a slave. He is being abused. He is a child. In different circumstances that could be your child. Please make a phone call. If you don’t want to call the police then call the modern slavery helpline www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/.

Friends are fostering a child who was trafficked for cannabis farming. He was rescued because someone noticed. Please be that person.

MRex · 08/11/2021 13:48

101 is just a number where people can listen to you. If they don't find cannabis then it won't go to court, if they do then they don't need your evidence.
Or, contact UK Power Networks and suggest that they check. They can see if there's suspicious electricity usage and go from there: www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/contact-us.

stalkersaga · 08/11/2021 13:50

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Original poster
DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 13:51

@SilenceOfThePrams there’s no proof that he’s a teenager OR he’s trafficked!?
You’re saying that like it’s fact? Shock
He’s just looked like a skinny older teen to me?

That’s nice your friends are fostering some poor kid Hope he’s ok

OP posts: