more a wwyd - cutting holiday short

[Auntieobem]

Am on week long stay in rented house, with elderly mum, dp, dB and nephew and my 2 daughters. Last night was our second night here - first was uneventful. So, kitchen at back with big windows/ doors to garden which leads to public path and beach. Around midnight there's a very bright strobe light shone through kitchen. DB goes outside- its a group of kids. So we try to ignore. Goes on for about 20 minutes. Then there's knocking at front door - noone there. Light appears again and then we hear what we think are stones being thrown at back. Front door then gets kicked and windows knocked on. By now my youngest is terrified, as is my mum. DP and DB follow the kids at front and get abuse shouted at them. DP and DB stay at front door until after 1.30, when it all goes quiet.

We didn't call police, very rural here and assumed that by time they'd arrive it would be over, and that police would escalate

I messaged house owner last night to say we'd be leaving today. We don't feel safe.

This was first time I've spent time with DB and DM in years. So disappointed.

Would you leave? We spent over £1500 on house. What refund (if any?) would you expect?

Just posting purely to say I will NEVER ask for advice or help on this site due to the vile people just desperate to be as nasty as possible to someone who has had the audacity to ask for some solidarity and/or sound advice. And believe me there will be others reading this who take one look at the comments and say “NOPE!”.

The users of this site are damaging it by being complete and utter twats. I’ve been on here for 8 years and can’t remember it being this bad.

If it only happened the one night I would tend to assume it was some teenagers messing about and carry on with my holiday. I would report it to police on 101 though so it's been logged, and suggest a ring doorbell to the owner.

Make sure you leave a video camera running to make a Blair Witchy version of tonights events!

I'd be tempted to get DB to creep out the back, pelt after them & try to collar one!

Waves at@Caoilte .

Polzeath and the rest of the Padstow area have come out this year and said enough is enough
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-sunsetnews/2023/jul/08/in-the-morning-they-are-comatose-on-the-sand-the-cornish-village-fighting-back-against-private-school-parties?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Bude hates the public school kids, but so far less numbers than last year, Covid years were worst. Sometimes the lack of transport is a positive!
The local kids had some wonderful recent weeks during exams on the beach with very little issues. It will change now, hopefully it will piss it down at sunset, pushing the tourists back to their accommodation.
Sadly the locals are driven off the town beach areas from now on which decreases the safety for visitors because a significant number are life guard trained.
We appreciate living here.

Not all users of the site behave like that.

I think there are better ways of addressing this than launching into a general rant on someone's thread.

Some of the unpleasant comments have been deleted. It can be useful to report personal attacks to MNHQ.

How do you know that?

No, I wouldn't leave. Kids don't scare me. I've lived in a big HA block of flats for 15 years and seen far worse than what you describe.

Maybe, and for that I do apologise to the OP for leaving a very general negative comment on her thread.
It’s just what I took from reading it so I wanted to express that.

For what it’s worth regarding the situation she’s in, I completely understand her being terrified. Having a door kicked at night must be one of the scariest things you can experience! I wouldn’t want to stay either however I do agree with the other posters that the police should have been called immediately, and I wouldn’t be expecting a refund either as it’s not the homeowner’s fault as such. I know she said she’d sort one out which is very good of her.

I don’t have any legal knowledge though so might be completely wrong about how to handle this!

Totally agree. I posted recently about a crime that happened to our family and was made to feel like we deserved it. I got the thread deleted it was upsetting.

Op I'm furious on your behalf.

How are you all feeling now @Auntieobem ?

Unclear why people are repeatedly asking why she didn’t call the police. OP said, at the time, she felt they might not respond so it was not worth it. Even if she should have phoned them, there’s zero point in 20 people asking her over and over? She cannot go back in time!

It must be unnerving having that happen to you away from home and feeling more vulnerable if you don’t know the area as well. I’m sorry that happened to you @Auntieobem

I wouldn't leave. I'd call the police.

Don't give in to little vandals like this (although they may resent tourists in housing which is now out of reach of their own families ...)

I would not expect a refund, assuming there is nothing that the owner has done which contributed to the behaviour, which even if the case you are unlikely to know about.

I dkn't know where you stand legally about getting a refund. But I think it should be reported to the police. I doubt it was an isolated incident.

Has the owner tried to identify the boys yet?

We're back at mums and db is back at his home. Owner is getting cctv from business opposite house, so hopefully will find out who it was. Owner is notifying community police.

I'd call the police, not give up my holiday.

So sorry to hear that, this is exactly what I’m talking about! I’ve seen it time and time again people turning on the OP of a thread who is the victim of a situation, and more empathy is expressed for the perpetrators sometimes!!

Hope whatever happened to you is sorted now and you are doing ok 💕

Well its not rocket science is it?

The OP asked WWYD - so posters are saying they would call the police and don't understand why she didn't.

If once a single poster or two has given that opinion and no-one else is then allowed to give the same opinion then the OP doesn't get what the most common, and reasonable, response to her question is.

What is unclear to me is why other posters feel the need to police thread replies (I know I have just done the same thing, but it really gets on my wick posters doing it) and making out they are the only sympathetic person here.... she didn't ask for meaningless platitudes she asked WWYD and you didn't even answer that !

Wasted holiday. Police instead of an uneasy DP & DB patrolling the door would have been less scary. Sorry this happened. I don’t think damage to a door is insignificant. It sounds violent and scary.

You should have called the police. There may be history of it or it just may be a one-off. You should also call the home owner and complain.

I would stay another night and call police the second it starts. If it does!
They might not bother a second time and find someone else to harass.

I would read OP's post from 6pm last night.

It’s understandable that you were so scared but would u not have had a chat with the owner to see if they knew theses people. Or phone the police and see if anything similar had been reported? Shame to leave. I hope u get most of yr money back.