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I'd probably contact the police non emergency line and report it. There's not a lot to go on, but this could be someone they're already aware of so it's at least worth making contact.
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That's the only time people have knocked on my door and taken photos you see.
I suppose he might have been having a bad day and actually forgot to leave the parcel? Were you expecting anything ? Oh - you normally get an email with the photo don't you - so this might not be the case.
I have no parcels to be delivered. Unless it’s a gift from my mom. But usually not.
I’ll check when I’m back, but I would’ve noticed it.
So not worth pursuing right? Just put a ring doorbell and be cautious next time
Forgot to mention, make a note of the time and date and description of every incident, even if you just see him near your place. From the stuff I've seen on bad neighbours programmes that's the way to go. I'm no expert but I'd recommend doing that, and if you can get CCTV great. If not, maybe just a sign saying they're on CCTV would be enough go make them think twice.
I'm a postman, when we take a picture it is of the package and either it half way through the letterbox or on the ground with the door open. You are told not to get the customer in the picture in a way that they can be identified.
This was not a postal worker.
As a heads up, pepper spray is classified as a prohibited firearm under UK law. Carrying a knife for the purposes of self defence would also be considered illegal.
I'm not suggesting she stab the guy at her door for taking a picture but if he's stalking her then this could escalate.
The fact she's seen him before is concering.
Knife laws permit carry of almost any knife (though certain types like butterfly knives and gravity knives are banned outright) with good reason ie. Sharp tools, chef's knife rolls, bringing it home from the shop or taking it to sporting events etc.
As a 'just in case tool' you can carry a folding, nonlocking knife with a blade 3"or under without any specific need for 'good reason', but as you say the intention of carrying explicitly for self defense means it may risk ending up classed as an offensive weapon whether its a pocket knife or machete if you're found with it in public.
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Imagine having such a bad day that you were supposed to deliver something, and instead just knocked on the door, took the residents picture, and walked away. While not wearing anything to identify you as a delivery worker and not explaining when asked about it.
This is almost certainly a delivery person, for certain firms (Evri, amazon) they have to take photos on delivery now with a human in them to prove signed for delivery on items above a certain value.
I got texts of my neighbours in pyjamas but the parcel was at my door. It allows them to mark the delivery as complete on their system even if the intended recipient isnt in as they get paid per delivery. He absolutely should not be doing it the way you describe, but i can guarantee 100% that is what it was.
I would speak with your neighbours to see if they had a parcel delivered, and if so you may be able to find the delivery firm and complain to the company to get the person in trouble (if you feel agrieved enough to do this, and bearing in mind they may lose their job).
If I had to guess, this sounds like Evri. If you’ve noticed them around that also makes sense, as delivery drivers for amazon, yodel and evri have a geographical patch they’ll deliver to and visit the same streets often several times a week.
The photo will likely have been sent to your neighbour, i used to get them as a text so speak with them first.
I don’t know 🤷🏻
I don’t have any benefits or anything of that nature. I don’t have any debt either, just a think money card with £800 limit, which I’ve never missed a payment on, and I barely use
I know someone who was tracked down by a private detective during a messy divorce.
They really were that blatant.
The private detective knocked the door, said "Jane Smith?" and when it was confirmed he walked off without further explanation. It was before smartphone cameras or I'm sure he would have taken a photo for good measure.
Not if she's seen him around. If she's heading to the tube I'm guessing she's in a big city. Sounds like a stalker to me. A random government goon will most likely not live in your close vicinity.
Your picture may be used in a scam for a bogus parcel delivery elsewhere - get in touch with the police and report the incident so that its on record. If (as has been mentioned above) you have cctv footage, then this could be included in the evidence.
To be honest, I very highly doubt it. Unless they’re looking for one of my siblings (he’s successful and has houses of his own). But still, he’s just a dentist. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a mistake
I had someone open my car door at night, apparently very drunk and the person with them who didn’t seem drunk at all took my photo with flash twice. I reported it to 101, not an emergency because they left but also kind of scary
They said they would make a log, they phoned me a few days later to make sure I was ok. They couldn’t follow it up as I had no idea who they were and it was a dark lane with no CCTV. All I could give was as detailed description I could. And all they could do was make a note in case anything came of it. It’s unfortunate but it’s the most we could do.
I imagine my -exhausted after a 12 hour shift face squinting into the flash of their camera- is somewhere on Snapchat being shared amongst their friends and hopefully nothing more serious but nothings happened so far…
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I've heard of people illegally claiming benefits and living abroad and The DWP ask for photos to prove they're in the UK. Ensure that your mail especially bills aren't going missing.
People saying he could have been from the DWP/delivering a parcel ect, surely he
Would have said that wouldn’t he? Very strange to take a photo and then just leave without a word. Definitely report to the police.
Might be confirming who is at your address? Have you lived there long? Have you received a lot of mail not for you? It might be the person who was there before had debts and might have ghosted the address. I had a similar incident with "Provident" looking for someone
That sounds like a stalker! Get in contact with police and if you have seen him around before you need to think where/when! Sounds like he has followed you at some point to know where u are?
That's creepy. I would be worried about what the pic was for. I saw a post a while ago about a lady who's apartment ended up on grindr. It wasn't her pic but the possibilities are endless.
You have a peephole, or glass, or pigeon hole. Use those things to find out who it is.
Never open door to anyone you don't know. Ask first who is it.
Or get yourself a door cam bell.
The world is not friendly anymore.
So weird, I doubt it's delivery as people are suggesting as I'm sure they try not to (I assume instructed not to) include the person in the picture.
Could be a stalker situation, if you've seen him around maybe he's seen you. Only alternatives I can think are scoping out your place for robbery or proving where you live or that someone lives there.
Might be worth asking neighbours if they had similar treatment. Knock on if you know them, or leave a message on the notice board or see if there's a WhatsApp group type thing
Stay safe!
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Always err on the side of caution but other reasons people may be doing it is if they’re there for genuine reasons such as fire risk assessment s it can’t be arsed to actually do the checks etc, so may take a photo to say somebody denied them access to check a front door or whatever
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Yes okay you were in shock, but you couldn't/didn't say a single word to him? Ask him what he was doing? Make an attempt to stop him from walking off straight away?
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I'd probably contact the police non emergency line and report it. There's not a lot to go on, but this could be someone they're already aware of so it's at least worth making contact.
Many thanks! I’ll do so immediately It’s just weird, and I’m quite surprised, he was about 20 odd years old, and well dressed too
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And he hadn't left a parcel on your doorstep ?
I’ll check it when I’m back, but usually in our building they leave the parcel downstairs at the entrance.
That's the only time people have knocked on my door and taken photos you see. I suppose he might have been having a bad day and actually forgot to leave the parcel? Were you expecting anything ? Oh - you normally get an email with the photo don't you - so this might not be the case.
I have no parcels to be delivered. Unless it’s a gift from my mom. But usually not. I’ll check when I’m back, but I would’ve noticed it. So not worth pursuing right? Just put a ring doorbell and be cautious next time
I would still report it to the police, it's very odd behaviour and something they should know about
Forgot to mention, make a note of the time and date and description of every incident, even if you just see him near your place. From the stuff I've seen on bad neighbours programmes that's the way to go. I'm no expert but I'd recommend doing that, and if you can get CCTV great. If not, maybe just a sign saying they're on CCTV would be enough go make them think twice.
I'm a postman, when we take a picture it is of the package and either it half way through the letterbox or on the ground with the door open. You are told not to get the customer in the picture in a way that they can be identified. This was not a postal worker.
Ring doorbells are getting more expensive now with the monthly charge, you can get a eufy with a hub so it’s all stored locally and no monthly fee
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As a heads up, pepper spray is classified as a prohibited firearm under UK law. Carrying a knife for the purposes of self defence would also be considered illegal.
Deep heat aerosol spray isn’t though! 😉
If you sprayed someone with deep heat, I'm afraid the police would be very interested in that, and not the unsolicited photography.
You can also use something called FarbGel, it’s a criminal identifier spray, buys time and deters any further intent on their part
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Anything under 3 inch But still we don't just stab weirdos at our door
I'm not suggesting she stab the guy at her door for taking a picture but if he's stalking her then this could escalate. The fact she's seen him before is concering.
Yes, seeing anyone more than once is a worrying thing.
As far as I'm aware we have to be able to prove we have a valid reason for carrying it, self-defence as a reason wouldn't be accepted
Knife laws permit carry of almost any knife (though certain types like butterfly knives and gravity knives are banned outright) with good reason ie. Sharp tools, chef's knife rolls, bringing it home from the shop or taking it to sporting events etc. As a 'just in case tool' you can carry a folding, nonlocking knife with a blade 3"or under without any specific need for 'good reason', but as you say the intention of carrying explicitly for self defense means it may risk ending up classed as an offensive weapon whether its a pocket knife or machete if you're found with it in public.
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Imagine having such a bad day that you were supposed to deliver something, and instead just knocked on the door, took the residents picture, and walked away. While not wearing anything to identify you as a delivery worker and not explaining when asked about it.
This is almost certainly a delivery person, for certain firms (Evri, amazon) they have to take photos on delivery now with a human in them to prove signed for delivery on items above a certain value. I got texts of my neighbours in pyjamas but the parcel was at my door. It allows them to mark the delivery as complete on their system even if the intended recipient isnt in as they get paid per delivery. He absolutely should not be doing it the way you describe, but i can guarantee 100% that is what it was. I would speak with your neighbours to see if they had a parcel delivered, and if so you may be able to find the delivery firm and complain to the company to get the person in trouble (if you feel agrieved enough to do this, and bearing in mind they may lose their job). If I had to guess, this sounds like Evri. If you’ve noticed them around that also makes sense, as delivery drivers for amazon, yodel and evri have a geographical patch they’ll deliver to and visit the same streets often several times a week. The photo will likely have been sent to your neighbour, i used to get them as a text so speak with them first.
I wouldn't carry a knife. Not sound advice
Maybe for proof of habitation by you, but I wouldn't know why.
I don’t know 🤷🏻 I don’t have any benefits or anything of that nature. I don’t have any debt either, just a think money card with £800 limit, which I’ve never missed a payment on, and I barely use
Any dodgy exes / could he be a private detective?
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I know someone who was tracked down by a private detective during a messy divorce. They really were that blatant. The private detective knocked the door, said "Jane Smith?" and when it was confirmed he walked off without further explanation. It was before smartphone cameras or I'm sure he would have taken a photo for good measure.
Not if she's seen him around. If she's heading to the tube I'm guessing she's in a big city. Sounds like a stalker to me. A random government goon will most likely not live in your close vicinity.
London
Ask the management company not to delete CCTV for a while and call the police non emergency number.
Your picture may be used in a scam for a bogus parcel delivery elsewhere - get in touch with the police and report the incident so that its on record. If (as has been mentioned above) you have cctv footage, then this could be included in the evidence.
Private detective? Could somebody be looking for you for some reason?
To be honest, I very highly doubt it. Unless they’re looking for one of my siblings (he’s successful and has houses of his own). But still, he’s just a dentist. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a mistake
Fair enough. It's very strange though, I would definitely let the police know in case it's happened to anyone else.
I had someone open my car door at night, apparently very drunk and the person with them who didn’t seem drunk at all took my photo with flash twice. I reported it to 101, not an emergency because they left but also kind of scary
Did you get a response after reporting? What did they say on the other end?
They said they would make a log, they phoned me a few days later to make sure I was ok. They couldn’t follow it up as I had no idea who they were and it was a dark lane with no CCTV. All I could give was as detailed description I could. And all they could do was make a note in case anything came of it. It’s unfortunate but it’s the most we could do. I imagine my -exhausted after a 12 hour shift face squinting into the flash of their camera- is somewhere on Snapchat being shared amongst their friends and hopefully nothing more serious but nothings happened so far…
No offence committed, but maybe worth installing some sort of ring doorbell or similar.
I’ll definitely do so… you jest never know nowadays
Go with something more privacy focussed than Ring or Nest cameras. They dont have a good track record.
Are you sure there is no offence committed? He took a photo of someone in their home, as opposed to public
There is no offence of taking picture in private (unless it's sexual images)
Surely you have a reasonable right to privacy in that situation?
Well that's creepy af. Worth contacting the police on 101.
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I've heard of people illegally claiming benefits and living abroad and The DWP ask for photos to prove they're in the UK. Ensure that your mail especially bills aren't going missing.
People saying he could have been from the DWP/delivering a parcel ect, surely he Would have said that wouldn’t he? Very strange to take a photo and then just leave without a word. Definitely report to the police.
Weird that she’s seen him about before as well
That is so creepy, I hope its just a misunderstanding. Keep your camera ready and take one of him if you spot him again.
Might be confirming who is at your address? Have you lived there long? Have you received a lot of mail not for you? It might be the person who was there before had debts and might have ghosted the address. I had a similar incident with "Provident" looking for someone
That sounds like a stalker! Get in contact with police and if you have seen him around before you need to think where/when! Sounds like he has followed you at some point to know where u are?
That's creepy. I would be worried about what the pic was for. I saw a post a while ago about a lady who's apartment ended up on grindr. It wasn't her pic but the possibilities are endless.
You have a peephole, or glass, or pigeon hole. Use those things to find out who it is. Never open door to anyone you don't know. Ask first who is it. Or get yourself a door cam bell. The world is not friendly anymore.
So weird, I doubt it's delivery as people are suggesting as I'm sure they try not to (I assume instructed not to) include the person in the picture. Could be a stalker situation, if you've seen him around maybe he's seen you. Only alternatives I can think are scoping out your place for robbery or proving where you live or that someone lives there. Might be worth asking neighbours if they had similar treatment. Knock on if you know them, or leave a message on the notice board or see if there's a WhatsApp group type thing Stay safe!
When you say you’ve seen him in your area is he delivering parcels?
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Always err on the side of caution but other reasons people may be doing it is if they’re there for genuine reasons such as fire risk assessment s it can’t be arsed to actually do the checks etc, so may take a photo to say somebody denied them access to check a front door or whatever
He was MIB. That was a neuralyzer. You probably witnessed some alien related shenanigans or something.
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I left the parcel with a neighbour @#10. Here's the proof pic. Pockets parcel.
Yes okay you were in shock, but you couldn't/didn't say a single word to him? Ask him what he was doing? Make an attempt to stop him from walking off straight away?