When to Get the Police Involved

Originally written by Jeff Durham, updated by the editorial team on 20th May 2026

Two common reactions to neighbour problems

When trouble arises with a neighbour, people often fall into one of two camps. Some assume their problem is too minor to bother the police with. They picture officers dealing with serious crime and feel reluctant to make the call. Others reach for the phone at the first sign of conflict, expecting police involvement to resolve the situation, though many disputes require time or additional resources to work through.

Neither approach fully addresses the complexity of when police involvement is appropriate. The police are a resource for specific situations, and knowing when to contact them can save time and lead to better outcomes.

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When you should dial 999

Call 999 if a crime is happening right now or if you feel you are in immediate danger. This is what the emergency line exists for. Officers are dispatched to 999 calls as a priority, often within minutes depending on availability and location.

Examples of situations that warrant a 999 call:

A neighbour is physically attacking you or someone else
Someone is trying to force their way into your home
You have received threats and the person making them is present or nearby
You are witnessing serious criminal damage to property
There is domestic violence happening next door and someone is at risk of harm

Domestic violence is a serious criminal offence requiring immediate police intervention, even when the situation is not directly visible to you. If you hear sounds of violence or distress, call 999.

When you call, stay calm and give the operator your location first. Answer their questions clearly. They will send officers if the situation requires it.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

When to use 101 or report online

For matters that are not emergencies but still involve possible criminal behaviour, the non-emergency number 101 is the right choice. You can also report many issues online through your local police force website. Response times for 101 reports vary considerably and may take days or weeks depending on the nature and severity of the issue.

Use 101 or online reporting for things like:

Suspected drug dealing from a neighbouring property
Ongoing harassment that does not require an immediate response
Criminal damage you have discovered after the fact
Antisocial behaviour that happens repeatedly
Concerns about illegal activity you have observed over time

Reporting through these channels creates an official police record of your complaint. This does not guarantee police action will follow, but the information may prove useful if the situation escalates or if others make similar reports about the same person or address.

Be prepared to describe what happened, when it happened, and who was involved. Specific details help the police assess the situation properly.

When the police may not be the answer

Not every neighbour dispute is a police matter. Disagreements over noise, parking, boundaries, hedges, or general rudeness usually fall outside what the police can address. These are civil matters or local council issues rather than crimes.

For noise complaints, your local council environmental health team is often the appropriate contact. They have powers to investigate and take action against persistent noise nuisance. For disputes over property boundaries or rights of way, you may need legal advice or mediation. Citizens Advice can help you understand your options when police involvement is not appropriate.

Many areas have community mediation services that help neighbours resolve conflicts without formal action. Some police forces also run community policing initiatives where local officers can provide advice on ongoing neighbourhood issues.

Keep records of incidents as they happen. Note dates, times, and what occurred. If you take photographs, focus on damage to your own property or incidents visible from your home without intruding on others' privacy or creating confrontation. This documentation will be useful whether you end up involving the police, the council, or pursuing other options.

Be aware that making false reports or deliberately exaggerating incidents to police is a criminal offence that can result in prosecution.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Noise Complaint Letter Builder lets you generate a formal noise complaint letter ready to send. Takes 2 minutes. Try it now →

Showing 20 of 124 questions

Ask Problem Neighbours a Question

ProblemNeighbours Editor 18/08/2026 at 11:00 am

@KYC That sounds genuinely frightening, and the fact you've already got an OB number means you're on the right track keeping a paper trail. Since threats, intimidation and suspected drug use are now involved, this has gone well beyond a neighbour dispute and the police should be your first port of call, not the assistant chief. Log every incident with dates, times and any witnesses, and push for a formal case number each time. If you feel unsafe in your home, ask about a protection order too.

KYC 18/08/2026 at 10:46 am

I suspect my neighbour does drugs , which leads her to intimidate ,harass ,dictate every thing i do in the same premise .
She can wake up find my clothes on the air line she will remove them despite the line being mine.
She can decide to cut all the air lines for airing clothes , I think for me to be stranded with my clothes ,claiming that the air line is at her door steps, though she wants to used it all alone .If i put my clothes on the very line which is mine when her clothes are not there she will remove them. If i ask her why she is doing that she does not responds to my concerns .
she will find me in the sink fetching water ,she will remove my jerrican before it fills up despite being the first in the queue before her .
These has happened severally for many years since she started living in the premise .I have reported her at the area assistant chief more than 3 times.
The first time she disappeared when the assistant chief summoned her, the second time she went. Then after that she organized with for the group or rough boys to come and threaten me in my own house as they smoke bhang and pouring water on my carpet .I have an OB number .

KYC 18/08/2026 at 10:25 am

Aneighbour keeps on intimidating ,dictating what should be done when ,where and what time despite not incharge of my rent.

ProblemNeighbours Editor 22/05/2026 at 9:15 am

@Rock Your best bet is to ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is fully anonymous and they won't ask for your name or trace the call. You can also report it online via the Crimestoppers website if you'd rather not speak to anyone. Give them the address, rough times of the deals, descriptions of cars or people coming and going, and how often it's happening. The more detail you log over a few days, the more likely the police will act on it.

Rock 03/03/2025 at 9:58 pm

My neighbour is dealing drugs... it's his business but lately he is crossing the line people coming on the streets blasting music ... he is dealing weed in large quantities but I don't know how to report him to the police... just 1 hour ago he was smoking joint with his customers and doing the exchange ... he is doing this 6-5 times a day selling a lot of weed and now it's becoming more and more frequent... what should I do and how to report him

Agma 11/06/2024 at 3:50 am

Be in absolutely no doubt, private family renters call the shots, especially with children. If you own you can't go council becouse you will have to declare it when you sell, it will likely put off your buyer and you might be stuck in the same situation ad finum.

The only answer is move if you can becouse once there is tension and resentment over an issue it never gets better. Always strive to live in the best area you can afford with the least people around you that you can to improve the odds of at least limited sanctuary.

Most of us just want a quiet life, noisy family neighbours and the feral wasters that infest working class areas are an absolute nightmare. No help, no support, becouse police only deal with crimes, disputes often esculate as conflict and combat gets inevitable.

It is understandable that homeowners do not want to live next to rented social accomodation, you actually have no say becouse landlords always bat for the tenants as the properties are cash cows.

Who wants the hassle?. The key is buying or renting in smart areas where there are lots of older people who have respect and values.I am sorry to say in working class areas if you shuffle round you just run the circles as you import yourself into same situation with the same arrogant people running the show using the system to their advantage.

Best way to win is to not play. Best of luck to you all, we all need it.

Billy 11/06/2024 at 1:42 am

Hello there. I have somewhat recently moved into a new flat. And the people under me seem to have made it there lifes goal to make mine miserable. They seem ti make loud noises on purpose to irritate me. Play there tv loud intimately. And worse of all .seem to track my every movement i make in my flat. They spend hours and hours some nights creeping around the halls outside the walls of my flat listening in. And sometimes making faint tapping noises to scare me. I cant even move a foot in bed without them seeming to notice and that spurs them on. Ifnim as quiet as a mouse they do it. And if i move and make noise they do it. I also think they follow me in my car sometimes. It has made me very sick and thinking very dark thoughts. I am to afraid to go to the council as im worried how bad it will get once they find out i have done so. Thank you for your help...

Matt 23/03/2024 at 1:14 am

I moved into my rented property less than a week ago, my neighbour started playing loud music blasting it out literally all day from 9am up to 6pm..(one of the songs was on repeat for over 4hrs). The other neighbours say he's a bit weird and seemed ok but recently started playing loud music over the past few weeks like that. The next day i had a tradesman doing work inside to fix the boiler, when he felt the door kick inwards towards him . he stood up asking whoever was in front of him if he's alright..i went to the door and saw some tall dreaded guy just standing there. i said are you ok, he just stared said nothing turned around slowly and back into the flat. then came out outside but slamming doors on his way out (he had already kicked in the internal communal panel door out a few days earlier). when i came back home the next day, all of a sudden while unpacking a loud banging noise to my front door happened i came close to the door and could see it being kicked in by this guy then i heard him spit at the door...i went back inside to get my baseball bat..and heard him bang my front window...then saw the figure (this was all happening at mid-evening but it was night by then..i went back to the door..the bottom lock had been completely smashed and wood damaged..i shut it and called the police. They came..took statements and while in my room we all heard a whistling sound outside my window, so we went to check..the guy was crocuhed near my window. the policeman asked him to come over and whats he doing over there...as the two approached him he started attacking both of them with a large long pole, that he carried..he struck the police officer down still hitting him while on the floor, at that moment the femal officer Tazed him which he shook off and ran down the pathway up to the duel carriageway. i followed through at some point to see at the end the male officer down in the female officers lap. His elbow battered and blood/scars on his face, they had already called for backup. there was a helicopter and other police cars on the chase. i went back to the flat waiting until more cops came to collect the other officers laptops etc. and told me they had caught him but had to taze him up to 3 times before they put him down and arrested him.

I have absolutely no idea why he went off on me like that..he obviously had mental issues and i could smell the weed/cigarettes from his door at times when coming out of my house. The two dont mix but either way this guy was obviously looking to do me harm in some way. Yet my landlord after explaining this to them yesterday and asking for a transfer or termination of my lease are basically saying sorry but tough, you signed a tenancy agreement but we'll look to get him evicted with whoever the neighbours landlord is..etc. what are my options for getting a move or cancelling my tenancy with my landlord.

none 17/03/2024 at 11:07 am

My Brother has two grandchildren living with him who has been turned out of there own homes, he is 86 and is unable to turn them out because of his age, the both of the lads have been in trouble with the police, I have been told that they are dealing in drugs from the Bungalow

neela 02/05/2023 at 6:14 pm

my recently moved in old couple in oppiste flat have wanted me out of my parents' home (owned by them) and invaded all my rental units situated far away and caused neighbors to steal,break in,tamper with all my rental units. I have lost job opportunties and housing rental options due to their handiwork and malicious gossip and stalkign and theft. All this is happening in a neighborhood unknown for theft. THis is breaking me mentally and financially.
I am unable to move quickly ,being a single woman without a steady job. I am affected by her vicious gossip and manipulations . She wants me out of t he parent' house so that she can 'live' in peace with her family. Started a pattern of gangsttalking and community harassment which was untoward in my area. I've moved 4 units in 6 months. Very unusual of the owner too ,Feeling unsafe everywhere i go. Destroying us(me,family) mentally,finacially. WHat should i do ? Feeling helpless.

sidney 12/03/2023 at 1:38 am

hi there i need advice what to do if few times in a week (mainly evening) come to our block with 6 flats 2 suspicious drug addicted persons and inject drugs into hands.is blood drops on steps and rubbish everywhere
what i should do ???

Patience Personified 28/01/2023 at 9:09 am

Good morning,
I’ve sought support to cope with unfair anti social neighbour behaviour previously on a different site’ but the housing association discovered my complaints and still don’t believe me!
I’ve had to waste my precious and limited time sending multiple recordings across various and many now lost and stopped working devices , I’ve sent in logs written and typed, I’ve had noise monitor out in by the council, I’ve attended in person meetings and tried everything other than acting with aggression or taking it to court.
But now I’m not going to be kind any more!
Today I’m in so much pain including dental and I am not coping. I can’t get outside even to a pharmacy and in Thai flat I don’t even have the liberty to make calls in peace because of fear of my neighbour sharing my personal details with others. He and his equally vicious and racist neighbours have already loudly banged and verbalised the most offensive things about me including of my single status, my unemployment status (not that’s it’s ANY of their business!),my ethnic minority status, my obviously not having any family or friends, so essentially they’ve preyed on the fact I have no one and nothing to defend myself with other than me!
I am a lone living woman, with multiple vulnerabilities and concerns, and currently not in work and I have been subjected
I’m in the process of trying to find a different living space but as you will know it’s not an easy journey for us all to simply get up and go especially with limited social housing availability as well as financial struggles.
Plus it cost me time, stress and money just to get into this upstairs, small, unsuitable flat which was an empty and dire state over which I’ve had to cover the ugliness, the damage, the obscene painting and graffiti (another graffiti was discovered recently in the locked front shed) and honestly you wouldn’t believe how horrid a state of flat the housing association gave me!
Carpeted, wallpapered, and somewhat furnished (still no dining table, sofa, cabinet, coffee table or other things I consider essential to a comfortable home) I’ve made this flat that I rent my home, my headquarters, my hideaway from the world … only I’m not safe, I’m not free, I’m not okay!
The downstairs neighbour whilst seeming innocent to others is a definite pervert and I don’t make such accusations lightly or casually. He’s sat at bus stops when I get off the bus and then walks behind me, when he comes back on his bike he stops behind me for ages even though his flat in front of the steps I have to get up , he bangs (doing it now at 08:58), he’s called me a clown, a c***, and other offensive things and I’ve recorded it and shown together housing and they still do nothing about it,
I know when to choose my battles and I’ve been to rough so many traumas in my life but just think of the trouble for a woman who left home , became homeless, went to refuges, waiting ages on a social housing wait list, and finally got offe

crazycat 24/12/2022 at 2:49 pm

I live in a 55 and over park and i had ptsd but its now cptsd because of the manager stalking and harassing me every day while drunk as hell, i finally told him that it was not appropriate to conduct park business intoxicated, i recieved a 30 day eviction notice next day because the man fixing my roof was homeless, i got a restraining order and he was fired but not before enlisting people to spread gossip that was not true, and this week it went to a new level where 2 different guys made comments about my nipples and the other was worse, also caught a neighbor pointing a bebe gun at my cat , ive come to the conclussion that because im disabled that its ok, oh another neighbor spread the rumor that my best friends death was my fault, ive reported all this but im getting nowhere and has effected my health so much that my life is basically over, i do have many journals ,photos, text and can proof it , what should i do

TJ 22/12/2022 at 1:58 am

22.12.22

Dear sir or madam

I've got video evidence of neighbours either side of me maliciously gossiping about me . And over the past six years I have witnessed the same guy visiting lots of other neighbours and spreading malicious gossip about me. Please inform me of can I get them arrested and charged etc?--- or how much will it cost for me to file civil lawsuits against them? please ?? contact me asap. thanks.

Regards

Terry Connor

077 48 99 44 20

01744 63 62 63

Angie 01/09/2022 at 1:36 pm

My naighbour constantly sits in his flat every day and night smoking drugs the smell is unbearable Iam fed up of the smell it comes into my flat and makes it stink bad Iam always buying air freshener to try hide the smell but they don’t work the smell gets worse I wish the police would do something about this it’s making me feel really bad. He has a little dog that poos all over the garden so that added to the smell Iam just so fed up with him .

Monica 14/06/2022 at 7:27 pm

I have had a neighbor lying about me so I left her notes to stop. I even mentioned in a note that I heard she was moving as I heard from a few tenants. I told her I wish she did.
Then the board of directors got an attorney saying mold ( coming from wall) and bad floors are my responsibility to pay for. My attorney says it’s not.
I have complained to the maintenance man about incompetence in regard to no returned phone calls, telling me they are too busy and not being able to speak at a board meeting. I have complained via text to him. Is this considered harassment?

Newell 30/08/2021 at 9:26 am

I wanted Non Emergency.
I thought 999 was emergency
So I phoned 911 from a mobile in error and they said it was emergency services.
Just to confuse things further 112 in Europe or UK will put you through to Emergency services.

It turns out 101 is the local police number in the UK. I only got through to a voice system. Last time I tried to use the number was to report a left rucksack in a bus shelter. There could have been anything in it so I was not going to check it out. I was held in a queue for half an hour so gave up....

Mandy 03/07/2021 at 8:53 pm

Similar situation, so me I wont bother asking for help, they can discriminate me & say what the hell they like, in my eyes being homeless means I have nothing less to lose & people can say as many lies as they want, I was thought of then(joke) I'm not giving them a second thought, I wont lie & I cant be arsed with their lies, homeless means that stress goes away, no more loss, big sigh, shame on them, it may be them one day, & what you dont have you dont miss, nobody helps me & I helped them, they have to worry about life what they lose now I dont, they will be last chapter, let them be in a unhappy lifestyle, glad to get out of their neighbourhood, I will protect my life & face troubles as they come, but I wont be bullied, anymore, I'm ready to defend myself alone, I wont lose my pride on asking for help anymore, sad I know but now is important to me, so my advice stand up to them dosnt matter what material things mean theres a whole world out there forget the bad stuff em all live your life & be happy we only have 1 life let them wollo on sad lifes of others they are toxic cruel people you dont need them my 2 fingers go up to them bye sad ones . Hope you feel better as you ain't alone.

C 04/06/2021 at 10:06 am

moderation.
I live upstairs and I am african, my neighbor downstairs is Caucasian, she harasses me everyday and claims i am disturbing her, even after I switched off all my appliances so as not to bother her, my neighbors interceded for me by asking her why she treats me like that because she was calling police everyday and I tried explaining to her that I have no control over my movements to the toilet and she screamed at me this morning like she doesn’t even want to see me at all. I am emotionally disturbed…. im being bullied by her because I am african…I tried complaining to the landlord but they took her side….im trying to move out for peace sake but my lease was recently renewed. I need help…

DJgrayo 23/05/2021 at 8:27 am

My neighbour . The male has been put in prison for dealing class A drugs, his partner had a baby not long before he was put away. She now drives a brand new 4x4 and had her garden fences extended in height to about 8ft, and wrought iron gates put up over the garden gates. And 2 pitbull like dogs that are huge. people come and go, all kinds of jobs have been done to the house she is supposed to work part time ,yet you rarely see the car move she is a young woman. And in my experience in life you couldn't possibly afford to buy your first time home out right .think bank of mummy and daddy had a lot to do with the house purchase as a cover. Something definitely is sitting right with me and other neighbour's we know something is going on but how can it be proved.

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