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uk Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
a stranger in a public venue asks you to go to a private area and you feel uneasy

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Stay in the public area and do not go anywhere private with them. Move toward staff, security, reception, the tills, or the busiest nearby spot, and say clearly that you feel unsafe and need help.

Do not do these things

  • Do not follow them into a back room, corridor, office, stairwell, car park, toilet area, loading area, or outside area for a private conversation.
  • Do not hand over your phone, ID, drink, bag, keys, or bank card so it is “easier” to talk or move.
  • Do not let them position themselves between you and the nearest staff, exit, or busy area if you can move away safely.
  • Do not accept a drink, sample, vape, medicine, lift, or anything you did not see prepared or opened.
  • Do not go to your car, bike, taxi rank, hotel room, or a quiet street alone if you think they may follow.
  • Do not stay silent because you are worried about being rude. A clear refusal is enough reason to get help.

What to do now

  1. Stop moving toward the private area. Use one short line and repeat it: “No, I’m staying here.” You can also say: “I’m not going anywhere private.”
  2. Move toward people and staff immediately. Go to the bar, reception, tills, door staff, security, cloakroom, box office, or any worker. Say: “I need help. A stranger is trying to get me to go into a private area and I feel unsafe.”
  3. Use Ask for Angela only if it helps. In participating UK venues, asking staff for “Angela” can be a discreet way to signal that you need help. If staff do not recognise it, or you are unsure, say plainly that you feel unsafe and need to stay in a public area.
  4. Create a witness layer around you. Stand near a group, queue, staffed counter, or the busiest visible place. If you need to, say to someone nearby: “Can I stand with you for a moment? I’m not comfortable with that person.”
  5. Ask staff for specific help. Say what you need in plain words:
    • “Please keep that person away from me.”
    • “Please do not let them take me into a private area.”
    • “Can someone stay with me while I leave?”
    • “Can you help me get to a safe pickup point?”
  6. Call 999 if danger may happen soon. Call 999 if the person is escalating, blocking you, threatening you, trying to touch you, following you, or you cannot get away safely. Give your location if you can.
  7. Use Silent Solution only if you cannot speak on a mobile 999 call. Stay on the line and respond if you can by speaking, coughing, tapping, or pressing keys. If prompted on a mobile, press 55 to show it is a real emergency. Pressing 55 does not identify your location by itself, so give your location if you can.
  8. If it is safe, capture simple details without engaging them. Text yourself the venue name, time, what they said, a brief description, and where they went. Ask staff to note that CCTV may need preserving. Do not confront the person to get proof.
  9. Leave with support, not alone. Ask staff or security to watch you leave, walk you to a staffed pickup point, or stay with you while you contact someone you trust. If you think you are being followed, go back inside or into another busy staffed place and call 999.

What can wait

  • Deciding whether to make a formal police report.
  • Writing a full account; quick notes are enough for now.
  • Contacting venue management, head office, or a licensing team.
  • Deciding whether the person “meant it” or whether you overreacted.
  • Explaining yourself to the stranger or proving anything to them.

Important reassurance

Feeling uneasy is enough reason to refuse a private move. Someone who is acting safely should accept “no” and should not try to isolate you, pressure you, or make you feel trapped.

Scope note

These are first steps for the earliest safe pause in a public venue. Later decisions, such as reporting, complaints, medical concerns, or specialist support, may need help from police, healthcare, the venue, or another appropriate service.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, medical, therapeutic, safety-planning, or other professional advice. If you believe you are in immediate danger, prioritise getting to staff, staying in public, and calling 999.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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