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?

Sorry, whats responsible about breaching the exemption conditions for her dog by letting it run around in a public park, presumably unmuzzled too, on the grounds that because it is locked it is therefore private property ... totally missing the point that the exemption certificate only allows you to have your dog off lead and unmuzzled on your own property.

Did they have pancakes and hoisin sauce with them too? If so I’d be very worried!

Why would they be catching ducks again?

Did you know ducks make an absolute racket if they are threatened?

You are jumping to mad conclusions and are being unreasonable without evidence!

I suggest next time OP hides in the bushes in front of the restaurant... she may find out she got totally wrong guys too.

That's it... I'm not eating shredded duck from my local take away every again 😬😆

The whole thing made me laugh. Especially the bit where you were hiding for so long. Also you repeatedly state your dog is on a lead and muzzled yet people kept accusing you of breaking that law. I'm almost sure, that both parties going into a supposedly locked park would be officially wrong. However if no one is fixing the broken places they probably dont care. 😂

I would report it to the community police or the council if it is a council park. At the very least they are causing a litter problem feeding the birds bread (which is not good for them) At worst it is theft and animal cruelty. Better to report it and be wrong than a crime being commited and ignoring it. As long as your dog is muzzled and neutered as per the law you really shouldn't have a problem.

Hilarious 😂!
Thank you for the update, glad you didn't get arrested as a peeping tom!

May be worth reading the updates, you're a bit late to the party.

So just to be clear - the guys working late in the local takeaway (that you are so familiar with you can recognise them from a distance in a park before sunise) - were they white British guys?

You should definitely report it, "egregious and unsolicited feeding of wildlife in a public space without provocation or just reward at unsociable hours" is an offence that could result in a serious slap on the back or even a hearty handshake. You must report it the cops need a good laugh and hopefully will take a dangerous dog off the streets as well. It's a win win for everyone.

Remember this takeaway serves ducks, how 'likely' is it for them to be white. Id not be surprised if they were not even the actual workers in that takeaway anyways, but you know, men who looked 'similar'...

"This was never about race, it was the connection between suspicious behaviour around ducks combined with recognising the men from a takeaway restaurant that serves duck."

Nope. Nothing racist about that at all. Nothing to see here. Step away.

But why is this even relevant? If the OP suspects somebody of committing a crime, she should report it, regardless of that person's ethnicity. Or are you suggesting that the law only applies to white British people and we should turn a blind eye to crimes committed by people of other races? If so, please remember that it was this way of thinking that led to child grooming gangs in places like Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford etc being able to operate with impunity for decades, wrecking the lives of thousands of young girls who were sexually abused and exploited.

No, I’m suggesting she thought they must be stealing ducks because they were not white British and because she thought they worked in a local takeaway that serves duck and because stealing waterfowl is a typical Daily Mail anti immigrant headline that gets trotted out with some regularity that gave her the idea in the first place. As it turns out they were doing nothing at all illegal, and thr OP simply put 2 and 2 together and came up with an (implicitly) racist 5.

It is relevant because if she saw two white dudes having a beer, she would not be reporting them. She wanted to report them because she made a connection between them, their likely place of work (they must stand out in her white community) and the fact they sell duck dishes and probably all the stories on Daily Fail where foreigners from all over the world steal and eat local wildlife (funnily you dont see stories about white British people doing the same in the said newspaper).

@ToplessWordle "Or are you suggesting that the law only applies to white British people and we should turn a blind eye to crimes committed by people of other races?"

No. Nobody is thinking that. For a second. Don't worry.

Good thing they weren't stroking a random cat.....

Why’s that? What an odd thing to say.

@Imperrysmum "Why’s that? What an odd thing to say"

Presumably you haven't come across the widespread urban myth, active on many local FB pages, that Chinese restaurants frequently catch and kill cats for meat?

Now you said that, next time OP will see the said workers with a cat, she will know to ring the police 😅

No I haven’t, the company I keep does not spread such racist nonsense. Perhaps check who you are “friends” with on Facebook if stuff like this keeps popping up for you.

Many years ago I heard of an Indian restaurant in Luton that was closed down when it was discovered they were serving up Alsatian! Not being racist either, the ex was a copper and he told me.

More racist bollocks.

Oh no....

Now curry is off my menu....

How's that for a racist reply?

@Imperrysmum .. Great responses.

Can wait for your next post.