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uk Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
someone is trying to gain access to a secure building by following residents or posing as a delivery person

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

Short answer

Move away from the entrance or into a safer, lockable or staffed place, and do not use your key, code, pass or intercom access for the person. Contact building staff, and call 999 if someone is in immediate danger, force or threats are being used, or a crime is in progress.

Do not do these things

  • Do not physically block, restrain, chase or confront the person.
  • Do not let them through based only on a uniform, parcel or verbal claim.
  • Do not disclose entry codes, resident names, flat numbers, routines or security details.
  • Do not move into an isolated area to question them or check their story.
  • Do not rely on a telephone number or contact detail supplied only by the person.
  • Do not put yourself at risk to take photographs, follow them or record vehicle details.
  • Do not delete or overwrite relevant doorbell, intercom or entrance recordings that you already control.

What to do now

  1. Move to a safer position. Go to a staffed public area, a trusted neighbour’s home or another lockable place if you can do so safely.
  2. If the person is waiting to follow you through, step away from the entrance rather than unlocking it while they are close. Use a staffed entrance or another safe route if one is readily available.
  3. If you are already entering, let the controlled door close normally if it is safe to do so. Do not try to hold the person outside or remove them if they get in.
  4. Contact the concierge, security team, caretaker, landlord or managing agent through an official number or the building’s normal reporting channel. State which entrance is involved, whether the person is inside and what you directly observed.
  5. Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger, the person is forcing entry, violence is being used or threatened, or a crime is in progress. Give the exact address, entrance location and direction of travel, then follow the operator’s instructions.
  6. If there is no immediate danger but you think a crime may have been attempted or you want to pass on information about suspicious activity, call 101 or use the official online reporting route for the police service where the building is located.
  7. Verify any claimed delivery independently through the intended resident, the courier’s official app or website, or building staff. Do not use contact details supplied only by the person at the entrance.
  8. From a safe place, write down the time, entrance, clothing, distinguishing features, claimed company, vehicle details already visible and direction of travel. Record only what you actually observed.
  9. Ask building management to retain any relevant CCTV, intercom or access-control records that are available and to check whether another entrance needs attention.
  10. Use the building’s normal resident-alert channel to warn others that an unverified person may be seeking entry. Keep the message factual and do not encourage anyone to confront them.

What can wait

You do not need to decide whether the person was dishonest, identify them yourself, make a detailed complaint or plan long-term security changes now. Those matters can wait until everyone is safe and the immediate incident has been passed to building staff or the police where appropriate.

Important reassurance

You do not need to prove what the person intended or personally enforce the building’s access rules. Moving to safety and giving a clear account of what you actually saw is enough for the moment.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps only. Repeated incidents, access-control changes, formal complaints and later evidence requests may need to be handled by the police, landlord, managing agent or a security professional.

Important note

This is general personal-safety and security information, not legal or professional security advice. Follow emergency-service instructions and your building’s established safety procedures where they are safe to use.

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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