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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Police at door at 3am

96 replies

Policedoorknock · 28/04/2025 04:02

AIBU to be worrying why the police just knocked on our door?

About 50 mins ago, door bell went. By the time DH had pulled some trousers on and got to the door and worked out it was safe to open the door, the police officer had walked back up the drive and pulled off in their car.

I called 101 and they have no record of a visit being made. No calling card was left.

Ive checked the phone and no messages from friends or family.

All our kids are at home here.

No mention of anything on village FB page and all seems quiet outside.

But now my mind is racing and I’m worried why they rang the door bell. I can’t think it’ll be routine at this time of the morning. Or do they? (I’ve not reported any issues and no calls made from this house - all kids phones are on the landing since last night.)

OP posts:
Gustavo77 · 28/04/2025 04:09

101 is a centralised call centre type thing. Try ringing your local station, it's most likely that's where the officers have come from.

They obviously didn't give you much time to answer the door so I'm guessing that it is nothing serious.

They may just be looking to see if you're aware of something that's gone on nearby and it became obvious that noone was awake.

JustAMum31 · 28/04/2025 04:32

Yeah I completely agree with @Gustavo77 - the likelihood is that if it were serious they’ve have waited longer and been more persistent at trying to get an answer. It’s likely to ask if you’re aware of something that’s gone on locally. Do you have a ring doorbell? Could be to ask for footage from that?
Id be wanting to know why they were there too though so definitely try calling the local station. They may well pop back early this morning to see if they can catch you awake

WiddlinDiddlin · 28/04/2025 04:37

If its serious and they specifically want you... they definitely do not just piss off.

If its minor, they wonder if you heard something/saw something recently, they might well just piss off.

JoysBlueHair · 28/04/2025 04:57

They might have realised they got the wrong address. This happened to us with an ambulance once.

notsureyetcertain · 28/04/2025 05:15

We once had the police knock in the middle of the night. A suspect had ran down the street and in the process knocked our bin over. They wanted to know if we had seen or heard anything. We had heard a noise but hadn’t looked out.

it was probably something like that but as said above local station should have a record

MidnightMusing5 · 28/04/2025 05:33

This happened with me many many years ago. ?however I was alone with kids and didn’t answer the door) . I had also rang the police and fhey didn’t know why either. Still don’t know why to this day(!) I ca LN only assume they just got the wrong door number

Zanatdy · 28/04/2025 05:39

Odd they knocked at that time of night. Perhaps they will return at a reasonable hour. I can’t
imagine they’d call at that hour if just making enquiries, unless a neighbour had a burglary or something similar. I’d be worried too.

autumn1610 · 28/04/2025 05:42

Something sort of similar happened in lockdown but was my neighbours who got knocked and they were looking for someone called insert my first name but my neighbours didn’t click the name at 2 in the morning as they were told they lived at this address (they had Been there about 35years) they came round in the morning to see if we had heard anything and to tell about it the next day and as they were talking it clicked in their head as they only know me by a shortened version of my name. I freaked out and rang all my family to check they were ok and never knew in the end why they knocked. At the time it was in the quarantine era and I was currently positive with Covid and that was the only thing we thought was to check I was a indeed in quarantine at 2am

RosesAndHellebores · 28/04/2025 05:55

JustAMum31 · 28/04/2025 04:32

Yeah I completely agree with @Gustavo77 - the likelihood is that if it were serious they’ve have waited longer and been more persistent at trying to get an answer. It’s likely to ask if you’re aware of something that’s gone on locally. Do you have a ring doorbell? Could be to ask for footage from that?
Id be wanting to know why they were there too though so definitely try calling the local station. They may well pop back early this morning to see if they can catch you awake

If it were me, I'd be jolly well hoping they'd come back later. I could then grill them as to why they thought it appropriate to wake my household, causing unnecessary worry, between 3am and 4am in relation to a non urgent matter. I'd be dropping a line to the Chief Constable. It's outrageous behaviour.

EleanorReally · 28/04/2025 05:57

we had the police charge into our house early one morning, and out of the back door, could never find out why, very disturbing

Holidaywarning · 28/04/2025 06:00

This happened to me, they were lost and the landing light was on so they thought someone was up (rural area many years ago). Looking for a neighbour to deliver bad news - so I forgave them pretty quickly when I heard in the morning the reason they needed to find the address urgently.

Bananafofana · 28/04/2025 06:14

We’ve had this a few times - once trying to access our back garden to look for someone fleeing, another time as there was a burglary in the empty house next door and the alarm company had called them out but hadn’t given them neighbours number and they wanted their contact details. Neither real emergencies but they rang the bell well after midnight

Original poster
Policedoorknock · 28/04/2025 06:22

They came back. About an hour and half after first visit.

They explained they were trying to locate a vulnerable child and a number registered to our address related on one of this child’s friends. They gave the name of this vulnerable child and friend whose number is registered to our house but neither rang any bells with us. We did give them ours kids names and schools and going in case it helped them.

Relieved for us but very sad for the family who are obviously going through hell right now.

OP posts:
Canterranter · 28/04/2025 06:24

RosesAndHellebores · 28/04/2025 05:55

If it were me, I'd be jolly well hoping they'd come back later. I could then grill them as to why they thought it appropriate to wake my household, causing unnecessary worry, between 3am and 4am in relation to a non urgent matter. I'd be dropping a line to the Chief Constable. It's outrageous behaviour.

Show quote history

🤣🤣🤣

EffortlesslyInelegant · 28/04/2025 06:48

"I'd be dropping a line to the Chief Constable"

I bet that would make him put down his custard cream and have a good long think about his leadership style Grin

JustMyView13 · 28/04/2025 06:52

Did you call 101 to validate their shoulder numbers before you gave your children’s names and school at crazy o’clock?

moonplop · 28/04/2025 06:52

Sad update OP- I hope they find the child.

It's really scary. One night at around 2am I heard rustling in our back garden. I looked out of our window and I could see a large shadowy figure with his back to us with a huge dog poking around our garden. I freaked out, woke up my husband and told him. He leaned out the window and shouted at the man to get out and WTF was he doing? The man turned around and we saw it was police officer with his police dog. He called up to us and apologised, and said they were chasing a suspect across the Sussex downs (we have fields right behind us) and he wondered if he was hiding in our garden. Then loads of police helicopters came overhead. It took me ages to get back to sleep after that and we then put up a very big secure fence.

Ollybob · 28/04/2025 06:53

Thought it may be something similar, it happened toe a few weeks ago w brief knock on the door to see if Id seen a local missing child, it was 9am though.
The police don't knock for fun, they don't have the time for that or to return if not necessary.

Icequeen01 · 28/04/2025 07:01

RosesAndHellebores · 28/04/2025 05:55

If it were me, I'd be jolly well hoping they'd come back later. I could then grill them as to why they thought it appropriate to wake my household, causing unnecessary worry, between 3am and 4am in relation to a non urgent matter. I'd be dropping a line to the Chief Constable. It's outrageous behaviour.

Show quote history

Does the police’s explanation meet with your approval 🙄

healthybychristmas · 28/04/2025 07:30

@RosesAndHellebores You sound absolutely mad! Why are you so angry about this? Do you think the police randomly knock on people's doors for fun in the middle of the night?

3luckystars · 28/04/2025 07:31

I agree, the police are doing their job? Throughout the night.

BlackeyedSusan · 28/04/2025 07:38

They came to us to see if we'd seen anything about a burglary in the bottom flat. The only thing I'd seen after hearing a scuffle was the copper rugby tackling someone on the lawn.

Profhilodisaster · 28/04/2025 07:51

EffortlesslyInelegant · 28/04/2025 06:48

"I'd be dropping a line to the Chief Constable"

I bet that would make him put down his custard cream and have a good long think about his leadership style Grin

I would hope he writes a stern letter to all criminals to demand they stick to office hours.

IndigoViolent · 28/04/2025 07:53

101 is a centralised call centre type thing. Try ringing your local station, it's most likely that's where the officers have come from.

It may depend on the area, but we don’t have this option anymore where I live. It’s either 101 or 999.

Mansionscoldandgrey · 28/04/2025 07:54

Profhilodisaster · 28/04/2025 07:51

I would hope he writes a stern letter to all criminals to demand they stick to office hours.

Show quote history

...and stop playing Knock Down Ginger