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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I tell the police?

323 replies

PonyPals · 09/11/2022 10:24

This is more of what would you do..
So my dad is in construction and he started a job today where he has to replace a floor in a garage.
Whilst ripping up the floor he found a semi hidden door behind a big mirror that was hanging up on a wall at the very back of the garage.
The door was half the normal size and when he looked in he saw that it was a small space with no windows but a mattress a tv and a book. It also had a vent leading out of it and the tube was across the garage roof.. we think for air (does that makes sense?)
So what do you think the room could be for?
Client is a man maybe in his 70s. Lives alone.
Should we report this to the police or are we letting our imagination run away?

OP posts:
Threadkillacilla · 09/11/2022 10:25

Crawl space or hidden room?

QOD · 09/11/2022 10:27

Tell him to take photos and finish the job and then either casually mention it or report it

Felix125 · 09/11/2022 10:28

You can tell them - might link in with other intelligence about the house or the home owner. Might be the final piece of the jigsaw to something big.

If it turns out to be nothing - then no harm done

Original poster
PonyPals · 09/11/2022 10:37

What if the home owner figures out it was us?

OP posts:
Sheitgeist · 09/11/2022 10:43

Since when has having a little room coming off your garage been illegal?
Unless there are signs of anything untoward then I don't see why you should report this.

Facecream · 09/11/2022 10:44

So what if the homeowner knows it was you? What exactly would they do about it??
Your dad could ask them directly before going to the police..

Felix125 · 09/11/2022 10:45

You can report it as anonymous
And - if it doesn't link in with anything, the police won't tell the owner

Passerillage · 09/11/2022 10:46

Is it lockable from the inside, or only from the outside? It could be a rudimentary panic room.

itsawildwildworld · 09/11/2022 10:46

Any evidence of a lock on the door?

Bookworm20 · 09/11/2022 10:49

Unless there are signs of anything untoward then I don't see why you should report this.

Well I can't speak for everyone, but I think the fact the door was hidden and there was a mattress, tv and book inside, aswell as a pipe leading out for air, doesn't exactly sound like your run of the mill storage cupboard.

I think i'd send some photos to the police and let them know what was found. might be nothing, but might be something.

Do you know how long the man has lived there? He might not know its even there, if the mirror was covering it and could have been there when he moved in.

chasingdays · 09/11/2022 10:53

Spooky

ffsnotagainandagain · 09/11/2022 10:56

I think I would take photos. Then casually mention it to the owner to gauge a reaction then decide. Could be innocent. The owner may not even know it's there or it could be something sinister.

Stoppissingonmyfuckingheather · 09/11/2022 10:56

A place to hide from police or kidnap people or keep slaves yes definitely tell or at least ask the man what it's for that is not normal

Original poster
PonyPals · 09/11/2022 10:56

Dad said the client said he has lived there his whole life. The house looks like it was built in 1930s.
There was no lock on the door. I guess it could be like a panic room but just odd as he said it looks so crammed.
He has asked his boss to meet him on-site tomorrow so it will be good to get his opinion.
I will ask him to take photos

OP posts:
Themadcatparade · 09/11/2022 10:59

I’d call the police for some advice over it. They might just pass it off. It’s a very bizarre situation though. Was the room hidden away and not accessible or was it something that the old man could just ‘pop in’ to

because if it was hidden in the wall or something it would ring alarms bells to me

bjjgirl · 09/11/2022 11:01

Could it be a bomb shelter or something?

bjjgirl · 09/11/2022 11:03

Things I would look for to assess weather it has been used in false imprisonment

Smell- urine ?
Mattress- stain
Door - claw marks
Bed-
Restrain marks

girlmom21 · 09/11/2022 11:04

Does it look like it's regularly used? I can't imagine he'd have left it unlocked if it's anything sinister.

HotWashCycle · 09/11/2022 11:05

This gives me the creeps hugely. Remembering the man in Austria who held his daughter and her children prisoner for years in a tiny hidden space, and other men who have held women captive secretly. Was there any sign of plumbing as for a loo? Definitely take plenty of photos.

JoonT · 09/11/2022 11:05

Definitely creepy. There is usually an innocent explanation for this kind of thing (maybe he’s paranoid about climate change or nuclear war or something), but the fact he lives alone rings alarm bells. Personally, I’d have to report it. If there is even a 5% chance he’s using it for something dark and evil, then that’s too high.

xon · 09/11/2022 11:10

It sounds like a book plot!

He should report it just in case most certainly. As others have said (paraphrasing) it might be a useful part of a larger picture.

What can he do if he does know you reported anyway? I wouldn't worry about that.

xon · 09/11/2022 11:13

I don't think it fits the bill for a nuclear-type bunker due to where it's situated. It sounds more like it fits a hidden function rather than protective.

Newwardrobe · 09/11/2022 11:13

Ooh ! Let us know what happens.

LidlCinnamonBun · 09/11/2022 11:16

Put some photos on so we can see the room

Sheitgeist · 09/11/2022 11:17

Bookworm20 · 09/11/2022 10:49

Unless there are signs of anything untoward then I don't see why you should report this.

Well I can't speak for everyone, but I think the fact the door was hidden and there was a mattress, tv and book inside, aswell as a pipe leading out for air, doesn't exactly sound like your run of the mill storage cupboard.

I think i'd send some photos to the police and let them know what was found. might be nothing, but might be something.

Do you know how long the man has lived there? He might not know its even there, if the mirror was covering it and could have been there when he moved in.

So something that isn’t a run of the mill storage cupboard should be reported?

If, IF as others have said, there are signs of a struggle, scratched inside of door, blood or urine stains, belongings that don’t seem likely to belong to the owner etc. then yes perhaps it should be reported as a non-emergency.

However, a little room in and of itself is not a police matter. No matter how creepy you find it.