Should I tell the police?

[PonyPals]

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?

Sorry @ChristmasisRuined but you’re wrong about TVs during ww2 in the UK at least - BBC broadcasts stopped in Sept 1939 and did not restart until June 1946.

It smacks more of illegal immigration than kidnap to me.

Not sure where OP has gone 🤔

Maybe the old guy was just preparing for the end of the world, war, nuclear bomb or extreme weather?

Maybe it was a room where he could hide from his wife (or where his wife hid from him)?

Just because he has a hidden room it doesn’t mean it’s a torture chamber or somewhere to hold hostages?

If the room is not lockable then it cant possibly be used to hold someone right, an air pipe going outside hardly seems soundproof either... I think your imagination has run away with you.

The newspapers are constantly doing online stories of people turning cupboards into 'tiny' rooms, its hardly rare. I measured up our cupboard to see if we could as we need and extra bedroom but its 10cm too short irratatingly.

If the house is in London maybe he’s renting the room out for £1,000pcm

If you’ve built a secret room with only a bed in it then of course it’s fine to be asked questions about this. The police aren’t brutes on the whole and are trained to talk to people. Yes it might be a bit embarrassing or awkward, for a few minutes. for the older man, but that has to be weighed up with the fact that a crime may have taken place. I can’t believe you’d put someone feeling awkward above preventing actual harm. If the police feel that there is nothing in it, they will be respectful. Also, if the police realise that the old man has mental health problems or need other help, they will refer on. Sometimes the police find out that a person is being used by other criminals and can also help. So there is the potential he’s vulnerable and they will assess that and support. Keeping ‘noses out’ is a terrible way to live in society, it’s how people are abused under ‘our noses’.

Also more out there idea but if the built in the 30s as the world headed into WW3 maybe they where prepping, lets face it hidden rooms/crawl spaces to hide from Nazi was VERY common and saved many lives. They likely never needed it so now its just a small room.

Report - just in case…

I agree these are all the most likely explanations. But in London and other major cities illegal immigration and set ups like this are so common that it’s an obvious possibility.

With no locks it’s not likely to be anything very nefarious.

If it was made for a sinister reason why would he let builders in to find it?

Report it please.

How old is the book?

Nuclear shelter from back in the Cold War days? Although I’d doubt you’d want a fresh air pipe for that.

If the owner hadn't brought in the OP's dad as an outside contractor , I'd have assumed illegal immigration and/or modern slavery. If it was underground, it could have been the owner's attempt to build a nuclear bunker. I'm mystified. I do hope the OP updates us!

Please could you or your dad call the modern slavery helpline to ask advice on the best course of action: 08000 121 700. Alternatively there's also the Salvation Army, who are also involved in help for these issues: 0300 303 8151. Thank you for caring.

Walk away people, we're never going to find out.

If you’ve built a secret room with only a bed in it then of course it’s fine to be asked questions about this

Of course it's not fine to be questioned about how your house ended up being built.

My mate has a thing like this under his house, there's a little secret trapdoor in a cloak room. It's a result of renovations to the house and they stuck some foam down and their kids use it

Definitely tell the police. Slavery and sex trafficking are far more common than most peopple think.

Yes, I doubt we’ll ever find out.
I’m probably in the don’t bother reporting camp, as I doubt the police will be interested unless there are also obvious signs of something else worrying.

Heck, they usually don’t bother coming round when you’ve been burgled, and that’s an actual, demonstrable crime.

It would be interesting to know what type of garage floor needs replacing. Is it a case of its just compacted dirt at the moment and he wants a nice concrete slab over it?
If the room was used for some sinister purposes, it could have been something back in the day when he was younger, and now at 70 he hasn't the strength to move a mattress and TV out and dispose of them.

Perhaps he thought having the room locked when contractors came and then perhaps them needing to open it to discover said mattress, tv, book etc would look far more suspicious than just removing the lock and acting like its just a store room of sorts. Just in case it was found behind that mirror.

And thats exactly what everyone is saying. If it was sinister, why isn't it locked? Its not locked because the door is easily discoverable behind the mirror if someone is in there replacing a floor and moves things, and it being locked might arouse far more questions.

Contact the police - imagine if you found out some time later that it was a crime scene and you did nothing?

If the door opens outwards then you wouldn't need a lock; the door can easily be blocked from the outside by using a heavy object such as a piece of furniture, or a piece of furniture bolted to the wall (like a mirror).

I would talk to a modern day slavery organisation such as Unseen (they have a helpline) and then proceed from there - modern day slavery would probably be my guess of what may have been occurring, perhaps the man has some help who are not here legally as well?

If it had a tube would it mean that if someone was held captive they would be able to scream and be heard?

If no luck, would it be easy to block with some heavy furniture?

I don't know. It may be worth calling the police and hearing what they have to say.

M...m....maybe OP's not replied because she's....LOCKED IN THE ROOM????