Northamptonshire Police issue urban exploring plea to parents

Parents and carers are being asked by police to warn their children about the dangerous trend of urban exploring, following "a number of injuries".

Northamptonshire Police said there had been several incidents involving young people entering derelict and unsafe buildings in recent months.

On one occasion, a boy fell through a glass skylight, suffering a laceration to his face and a broken arm, while another child fell trying to gain entry into a closed area and broke their leg.

In May, police, the county's fire service and West Northamptonshire Council said there was an increase in young people visiting derelict buildings and sharing videos from them on social media platforms, including TikTok.

Charlie Hastie, Reform UK cabinet member for housing and communities, said in May: "While urban exploring may appear exciting, the reality is that these buildings are extremely dangerous and often structurally unsound."

Police said the incidents were often resource-intensive, requiring all three emergency services to attend, citing an incident earlier this month in which a group of young people who made their way onto a roof in Northampton town centre led to one of them falling off and sustaining suspected breaks and fractures.

As well as the ambulance service attending, the fire service had to use an aerial appliance to rescue two of the boys who were unable to get down on their own.

Scott Potter from Northampton's Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "Urban exploring may appear exciting to some young people, but the reality is that these locations are often extremely dangerous and can pose a serious risk of injury or even death.

"Many derelict buildings are structurally unsound, contain hazards such as broken glass, exposed edges and unstable flooring, and are not designed to be accessed by members of the public.

"We are asking parents, carers and guardians to speak with young people about the very real dangers involved and to encourage them to think carefully about the consequences before entering these sites."

Urban exploring and posting about it on social media has been a trend for several years.

In 2019, hundreds of checks on sewers were carried out to combat urban exploring, after four teenagers became trapped underground .

The boys, all aged 16, were pulled from a manhole in Northampton after getting lost.

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