Anti-social behaviour

Recently we have had several reports of what is commonly known as ‘knock a door run’, specifically in the Llanymymech & Pant areas.

To those who don't know, this is the act of knocking on a person's door or ringing the bell and then running away. The reports we have had seems to involve groups of children or teenagers and the reports we have had have been after dark. 

We would like to make it clear where we stand as  Local Policing Team on this and highlight the impact this can have on people. 

Firstly, once something is reported to the Police it creates a 'footprint' where processes have to be followed; and due to this anyone who is involved in it often has their details taken and they are forever more on Police systems. Evidence is gathered, sent to us, can be publicised and used to take action against offenders. In our cases in Llanymynech and Pant we have been sent CCTV and we fully intend to identify the persons on it and take further action.

Secondly I would like to highlight the impact this can have on the victims. The people who report this to us invariably say that it has an impact on them and their families. To use some real life examples (from other cases elsewhere) there was a lady in her 80s whose husband of 60 years had died very recently and was struggling to adapt to life on her own without him, when she started having youths banging on her doors and windows at night time. She was so frightened and upset by this that she ended up having to move out the home she had shared with her late husband. The long term impact of this selfish and pointless behaviour never really left her in a time where she should have been living out her later years in peace and safety.

Another case involved a family where the father was so antagonised by this that he actually suffered a serious medical episode - whether the door knocking actually caused it cannot be said but it certainly was a factor.
We have many examples like this where such pointless and selfish behaviour can have such devasting effects on people and families, and we have had many victims say that it makes them feel like dealing with it in ways that would get them in to trouble. Something we do not want to happen.

So to reassure the residents of Llanymynech and Pant, we will do what we can to find who is doing this, or at least stop it from happening. If you know who is doing this we are happy for you to contact us at your local policing team - oswestryrs.snt@westmercia.police.uk or ring anonymously on 101 or go on line to Home | West Mercia Police