Kid barged in my house

[Ontobetterthings]

I wfh today. I had a load of banging on the door. I answered it thinking it was a delivery. There was a boy there about 12. I thought maybe he come round to see my son though I didn't know him. My son is at sports camp today though

Before I could even say anything he ran in my house and barged past me and tried to get up the stairs. I grabbed him by the arm and asked him what he was doing. I was worried as my daughter was in bed and didn't want anyone I don't know upstairs.

I asked him repeatedly what he was doing and he wouldn't answer
He just kept trying to get up the stairs. I said you don't barge into people's houses. Eventually he said toilet. I was thinking perhaps he could go to my downstairs toilet but he ran off. I don't think English was his first language. I noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes either.

I just feel very shaken by the whole thing.

I’m not sure what your BU is but I’d feel shaken by someone barging their way into my house as well.

Perhaps ask your son if he recognises the description or see if any of your neighbours know him, as you might feel a bit more at ease if he lives nearby and is friends with son.

Yeah i'd be a bit shaken by that too

Likewise, I'd be shaken by it too.
I would lock the door going forward ...what if he was a bit older and didn't take no for an answer

12, shoeless, likely doesn't speak English and clearly desperate for shelter, I think this is a police/social services job.

I think you should probably phone the police. This child could possibly be in danger. You are right to feel shaken but I would be worried about a child behaving like that especially when he doesn’t have shoes on.

Very scary.

You called the police though, yes?

I do hope so, because he may have been after your son or something?

Exactly.

More likely he was trying to escape something.

He was going to rob you.

Report to police.

So police is still the obvious answer.

Did you call them OP?

Honestly I'd phone the police, just to report it. He might be a runaway in need of help, or he might be up to no good, either way better that they know.

Agree completely with this. Yes I appreciate you're probably shook up but you absolutely need to contact someone about this poor kid.

Ring someone. It may be a vulnerable child, either in danger or possibly autistic and absconded. Check your local facebook pages to see if anyone is missing a child.

I haven't reported it to anyone as wasn't sure what to do.

Well you know now, go, woman!

This. It’s a common tactic used by thieves. They get children to knock knowing that most adults will answer the door to them, then the other adults are usually waiting nearby and will steamroll in behind them and rob you.

Or failing that, the child will as they are quicker/lighter and if they said they wanted the toilet, you’d be surprised but most people wouldn’t follow them upstairs and by the time they’ve thought the child had finished going to the loo, said child will have likely ransacked bedrooms and taken jewellery, watches etc anything of value and you’d be none the wiser until much later.

Whether he was seeking shelter or a distraction for a robbery, that's a child who needs help. Call it in.

I mean there are only two things you can do really.

1. Report
2. Ignore

I think whether he was going to rob you or whether he was in some sort of danger, both are serious situations and I agree with others saying to ring the police. I totally understand you being shaken up

This. I understand you being shaken up but something is going on here and the child could be in danger.

Another who agrees with reporting.

You have 2 situations here

A vulnerable child who needs safeguarding

A burglary ring who need apprehending.

It's still a child in danger. If this is what's happening he's being criminally exploited.

Criminal exploiters are unlikely to send a shoeless child in, as this would raise the most concern and lead to police/ss involvement, in addition to the child being less likely to run away.

OP, are you, by any chance, in one of the southern counties? As in, close proximity to boat landings?

I'm in the midlands

Still, my gut feeling is this is someone trying to escape someone/something. Report.