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uk Personal safety & immediate danger someone trying my door handle • door handle jiggling outside • rattling door handle at night • someone testing windows outside • window being tried from outside • possible break in noise • burglary in progress fear • suspicious person at my door • someone outside my home • footsteps outside my window • knocking and trying handle • attempted break in sounds • someone checking if door locked • intruder trying to get in • home intrusion concern • lock clicking noise outside • someone at door won’t leave • unknown person at the window

What to do if…
you hear someone trying your door handle or testing windows from outside

Short answer

Get everyone to a safer place inside, lock and barricade the door to that room if you can, and call 999 if you believe someone is trying to get in right now.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t open the door “to check” or shout through it.
  • Don’t go outside to confront them or investigate.
  • Don’t stand in front of windows/doors where you can be seen.
  • Don’t assume it’s “probably nothing” if the handle/windows are being tried repeatedly.
  • Don’t chase someone if they move away — keep yourself safe and let police deal with it.
  • Don’t post live updates on social media (it can escalate risk and delay help).

What to do now

  1. Move to a safer spot immediately. Take your phone, keys, and (if you have them) a torch. Get children/others/pets into the same room. Prefer a room with a lockable door and, if possible, another exit.
  2. Secure the room you’re in. Lock the door. If it’s safe and quick, place something heavy against it (for example a chair or chest of drawers) to slow entry. Stay low and away from the line of sight of windows.
  3. Call 999 if you think someone is actively trying to get in or you feel in immediate danger. Say clearly: your address, that someone is trying the door/windows right now, how many people are inside, and whether you can see/hear where the person is.
  4. If you can’t speak safely, still dial 999 and don’t hang up. Listen to the operator’s questions. If you can, make a small noise (a cough) or tap the handset. If you’re calling from a mobile and you hear the automated prompt, press 55 (or tap) when prompted to confirm it’s a genuine emergency so you can be connected to police.
  5. Make your home look “awake” without exposing yourself. If you can do it from where you are (or via an app), turn on lights. If you have an alarm with a panic function, use it. Avoid moving around the house to do this.
  6. Gather quick details only if it’s safe. Through a peephole/door camera/curtain gap (without being seen), note clothing, height/build, direction of travel, or whether there’s more than one person — then stop looking and focus on staying safe.
  7. If someone claims to be the police at your door, don’t open it immediately. Ask them to identify themselves through the closed door and tell them you’re calling (or have called) 999. Only open once you feel confident it’s actually police.
  8. If they stop and leave, stay inside for now. If you’re no longer in immediate danger, you can still report suspicious activity via 101 (or your local force’s online reporting) once you feel safe.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide right now whether it “counts” as an emergency — if you feel in danger or entry is being attempted, treat it as urgent.
  • You do not need to search the property, check every window, or review CCTV while you’re still shaken.
  • You do not need to call neighbours, a landlord, or insurance until the immediate situation has passed.
  • You do not need to give a perfect description — just the essentials: where you are, what you heard, and what you need.

Important reassurance

Your body may go into shock (shaking, nausea, tunnel vision, freezing). That’s a normal stress response. The safest, most effective thing you can do is slow down, make yourself harder to reach, and get help — not to prove what’s happening.

Scope note

This is first steps only — focused on staying safe in the moment and avoiding irreversible mistakes. After things settle, you may want follow-up steps (security, reporting details, landlord/insurer), but those can wait.

Important note

This is general information, not legal advice. If you believe someone is trying to enter your home or you feel in immediate danger, prioritise getting to a safer place and contacting emergency services.

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