It is important for property owners to be always prepared to handle a trespassing situation, however each situation should be analysed and handled in its own unique way. The goal should always be to ensure that everyone is safe and property is not stolen or vandalised.
How to act upon discovering a trespasser on your land
While you have every right to feel aggrieved whenever you catch someone on your property, in the eyes of the law, trespassing is a civil wrong and not a criminal offence. As such the police cannot help with the removal of trespassers unless they are in a large group and damage has been caused.
The first step to removing trespassers is to ask them to leave, then if this does not work you can instruct enforcement officers such as Able Investigations to use common law on your behalf.
Reasonable force
Our advice would be to avoid getting to the point where reasonable force is needed. Because the rules around reasonable force are so varied and not very clear you can leave yourself open to prosecution. Instructing an enforcement officer to use reasonable force on your behalf is a much better idea, they will have experience of dealing with trespassers before and might even have dealt with the same group previously.
Staying calm and prepared
The most important thing when dealing with a case of trespass is common sense. Things become much easier when they are handled in a calm matter and things are not allowed to escalate, our certified enforcement officers at Able Investigations are experts in doing this. To protect your property from trespassers, make sure you have enough “No Trespassing” signage in visible places. In some cases, a trespasser may be an innocent person who just did not know that they were trespassing.
Able Investigations has years of experience dealing with trespassers. As an enforcement agency, we can help to remove them from your property and advise on keeping trespassers out. For help or more information call us on 0345 366 0000 or fill out our contact form.
