to report this to the police, even though I am technically implicating myself?

[Imperrysmum]

My local park is locked overnight and isn’t opened until 6am. It’s a huge park but in one area part of the fence is missing so I squeeze through and go into the park to walk my dog at 4am (he is an XL bully so I like to go the park when nobody is about)

The last few mornings when I have been walking round by the pond there have been a couple of men sitting on the benches next to the pond “feeding the ducks”. I noticed they have black bin liners next to them too. I’m pretty sure I recognise these men from working in a takeaway restaurant.

I am concerned they are trying to catch ducks. I hope i’m wrong, but I just can’t see why two adult men would sit feeding the ducks at 4am?! Especially as the park is officially closed and they have bin liners next to them.

AIBU to report this to the police, even though I’ll be implicating myself too?

Report them. You have a reasonable reason for being there and tbh it's not for you to decide. It's for the police. I think them stealing ducks is much worse than you walking a dog in peace for everyone's safety.

So technically you are breaking and entering

First you need to get them in a row 😁

Please tell me what I have broken when I enter through a missing slat in the fence 🤔

@FinalInstructionstotheAudience , I find OP's behaviour suspicious. Likely more serious than breaking and entering. Either hunting for a dog to cooking in a restaurant or ducks to feed her illegal XL bully.
Am reporting you@Imperrysmum 😂😘

Next you'll be saying it's not burglary if a burglar can just open a door.

Thanks all! Suprised at how many people think my suspicions are far fetched tbh.

Anyway, I am going on a surveillance operation tomorrow morning in the arboretum next to the pond and will hopefully find out what they are up to once and for all.

PLEASE PLEASE tell me that all MNers have got all their ducks in a row and have counted them and are watching out for nefarious men ( or women ) trying to rearrange them into a disorganised group !

But a burglar is taking items? I am simply walking around a park with my dog?

Pretty sure it’s not trespassing if you can freely enter, it only becomes trespassing once someone asks you to leave and you don’t leave immediately.

Don't forget your binoculars.

Cygnets at our local disappeared a few years ago, all in one night. I don't think the OP is being unreasonable, but a little more investigation. Our council is grateful for reports of suspicious behaviour around there.

Sleeping in the park makes far more sense, its the kind of place I slept when homeless. Walled cemeteries and locked parks are fairly safe, very few people around at night and walled areas act as windsheilding.

Vs. city centers (lots of agro and danger) or abandoned buildings (attract vandals, arsonists and drug users so used needles etc... often moldy which is great for lung infections and fire risks often with infestations and so on).

But you can't 'freely enter'.
The gates are locked. And there is a sign saying it's closed till 6am.
You only got in because you found a 'gap' in the fence.
If that gap was repaired, what would you do then?

In summer I wanted to walk my gentle breed of dog at dawn but was warned by someone that aggressive breeds are often walked in the 'middle of night' - in fact an XLB got into a nasty fight with a mastiff, and one of them was killed.

Clearly the XLB was not muzzled.

@Imperrysmum Sorry, I have only read all of your posts.

I think that the rule about being allowed to walk your gorgeous dog on private property must be very badly constructed, as I am pretty sure that they mean
Your own private property, and not just anyone's private property, especially not a private property that the owner has NOT given you permission to enter... 🙈

Same as going through an open bedroom window in a house
Not your property

What exactly do you think they are planning to do with the ducks? Serve them at the local takeaway?
I am pretty sure that catching, giblet removing and plucking a bird is far more effort that getting a frozen one from Costco.

Dodgy. Report it.

This seems like a very inefficient way to get supplies for a takeaway - ducks are not daft, and while I could see the men having luck and catching two or three the first time, the ducks would get wise and they wouldn't be able to do it night after night. Secondly, how many ducks would you need to supply a takeaway for a night?

I've only really put a comment on here because I want to be notified when the OP reports back on her covert surveillance. I'm invested in what they are actually doing...

They might report you for having a dangerous dog.

You are trespassing OP, if the park is closed to the public then you are trespassing to enter it. Of course it would be worse if you were caught and asked to leave, and refused, but still. It's trespassing as soon as you enter the park. The duck catchers/feeders are also trespassing of course.

Of course report, that's awful

I think it's fine to walk your dog then - it's hardly the same fucking offence - so many fucking nobheads on here