Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Nextdoor Neighbour’s Child

30 replies

Rhodora · 18/05/2025 14:55

DH and I moved in to our cottage flat 8 years ago next month. Very quickly we met the neighbours not only in the other three flats in our block but also in the semi on the other side of us. We generally rub along fine with our neighbours in the other flats say hello in passing, put each others bins out, take I each others parcels but don’t know much about each other. Now to the semi. A couple live there along with her now 16 year DS. The couple are around 5 years older than us and we have always got on well. My DH and her DP support the same football team so lots of match discussions and team tactics, DH estimated the cost of their property before and after they had an extension built (DH is a building surveyor). The Neighbours got an estate agent valuation too who gave an identical valuation to DH which the neighbours were very pleased with. Now to the problem the neighbours DS. Neighbours DS supports a different football team to his stepdad and DH. Last year he and a group of his friends were in their garden after their team lost to the team DH supports. They were flying flags opposing the views of DH and the team he supports, shouting views that if you said them just 20 miles west of where we live you would be risking a beating. They were shouting anti English views (I’m English born) and hurling bricks at living room window and front door. A few of them hit the windows and door (i’m on the first floor) but nothing broke. We had a word with his mum the following day as she had been away overnight. Last night they were in the garden shouting what they had been last time but this time not throwing things. Would I be unreasonable next time to call the police non emergency number and report them.

OP posts:
Rhodora · 18/05/2025 14:56

Apologies for the essay but I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything out.

OP posts:
outingouting · 18/05/2025 14:59

For shouting anti English views in the garden? Once a year? Yes I think YABU.

unpleasant but not a police matter.

the throwing of bricks absolutely deserved it though.

Koalafan · 18/05/2025 15:00

If they're being threatening and violent then you wouldn't be unreasonable to call the police, especially as it's happened before and the parents were informed.

Koalafan · 18/05/2025 15:01

outingouting · 18/05/2025 14:59

For shouting anti English views in the garden? Once a year? Yes I think YABU.

unpleasant but not a police matter.

the throwing of bricks absolutely deserved it though.

How often is acceptable to shout anti-English sentiment at an English born person in their own home then?

ItGhoul · 18/05/2025 15:04

They were throwing bricks at your windows? Yes, of course you should have called the police for that.

TinyTempest · 18/05/2025 15:06

Get a camera and report to the council about the noise if you really want to, but no-one's going to do anything about irregular noise.

TinyTempest · 18/05/2025 15:07

ItGhoul · 18/05/2025 15:04

They were throwing bricks at your windows? Yes, of course you should have called the police for that.

That's not what the OP's asking.

She's asking if she should report the shouting and Anti English stuff, now they're not throwing things.

Ilikewinter · 18/05/2025 15:10

Yes 100%.

Hufflemuff · 18/05/2025 15:10

What were they shouting? I'm sure we can handle it.

Throwing bricks at the windows and doors... I'd have called the police there and then and pressed charges.

LoveWine123 · 18/05/2025 15:13

I would have called the police that first time when they were throwing bricks. And would have spoken to his parents too.

roseymoira · 18/05/2025 15:28

What country are they from? I’m sure if you were shouting anti-whatever country at them, people would not be minimising it as they are here

RawBloomers · 18/05/2025 15:35

roseymoira · 18/05/2025 15:28

What country are they from? I’m sure if you were shouting anti-whatever country at them, people would not be minimising it as they are here

I assume, from the cottage flat phrase, that OP is in Scotland.

Rhodora · 18/05/2025 15:40

DH has just got home and he met the neighbour emptying our bin and filling her own as her DS and his friends decided to fill our bin with beer cans (bins are numbered). DH had another word with her about her DS and his friends and she apologised. Neighbours family are half English so it hurts her hearing what is being shouted too. DH did say that when her DS is on his own he is a perfectly pleasant and helpful young man and that he understands they are 16/17 years old she cannot decide his friends for him but the friends are not the best influence.

OP posts:
Rhodora · 18/05/2025 15:43

RawBloomers · 18/05/2025 15:35

I assume, from the cottage flat phrase, that OP is in Scotland.

I am in Scotland. Scottish father, English mother and I have lived in Scotland for 35 years.

OP posts:
QueenOfSwedenRose · 18/05/2025 15:47

I agree with the majority. Report the brainless xenophobes.

Oxo01 · 18/05/2025 15:50

I would definitely get a cemera so you have things on record.

Maybe she cant choose his friends but she could always tell her son that his freinds are not welcome in her home if they act like that, but im sure she wont.

AJ20 · 18/05/2025 15:51

You should have called 999 for the brick hurling at the time, never mind 101!

HerNeighbourTotoro · 18/05/2025 16:29

QueenOfSwedenRose · 18/05/2025 15:47

I agree with the majority. Report the brainless xenophobes.

I can totally imagine people assumed the neighbours were 'foreign', but they are Scottish 😂

Koalafan · 18/05/2025 16:35

HerNeighbourTotoro · 18/05/2025 16:29

I can totally imagine people assumed the neighbours were 'foreign', but they are Scottish 😂

Scottish foreign to some MN posters.
Some Scots are quite anti-English, sadly.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤝🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Koalafan · 18/05/2025 17:02

Koalafan · 18/05/2025 16:35

Scottish foreign to some MN posters.
Some Scots are quite anti-English, sadly.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤝🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Edited

Should read 'Scottish is foreign....'
(Too late to edit)

DrummingMousWife · 18/05/2025 17:12

Any hate speech should be reported to police immediately. There is no room for hate to grow in any country.

Endofyear · 18/05/2025 18:14

I would have called 999 when they threw bricks at your property! I probably wouldn't be bothered about the anti English nonsense but if want to nip it in the bud before it goes any further, I'd report that to the police too. Your neighbour may be nice but she obviously isn't in control of her son. I've 5 boys and can't imagine any of them behaving like that ever.

Spirallingdownwards · 18/05/2025 18:18

Will police in Scotland care about anti English views being spouted anyway?

QueenOfSwedenRose · 18/05/2025 18:20

Spirallingdownwards · 18/05/2025 18:18

Will police in Scotland care about anti English views being spouted anyway?

Maybe not if they're xenophobic too

Spirallingdownwards · 18/05/2025 18:23

QueenOfSwedenRose · 18/05/2025 18:20

Maybe not if they're xenophobic too

It's a genuine question. Would the police here take action if say an English person was saying something negative about Scots? I am not sure they would.

Swipe left for the next trending thread