Police warn against joining in social media trend that could land you 14 years in jail

West Mercia Police says that while the trend of visiting abandoned sites and sharing footage from inside is a national one, there have been some instances reported in the force area (Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire).

This has prompted officers to warn those influencers filming and posting content from such locations that their actions may be in breach of the law.

Urban exploration – sometimes referred to as ‘UE’ or ‘urbex’ - is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden elements of the man-made environment.

While this social media ‘hobby’ can provide interesting video footage of historical interest, it can sometimes involve trespassing onto private property, invasion of privacy, intimidation or, in some cases even burglary.

Members of the public are further advised this activity presents various risks, including physical danger from climbing on to buildings or over fences, or from derelict sites that have missing or crumbling structures or may contain hazardous materials such as asbestos.

They are being warned that, under Section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, a person committing the offence of aggravated trespass could face a prison sentence of up to three months and/or a fine of up to £2,500.

Anyone found guilty of burglary – defined under Section 9 of the Theft Act 1968 as entering any building or part of a building as a trespasser and with intent to commit theft or unlawful damage to a building or anything therein – could face up to 14 years in prison.

Detective Sergeant Kelle Westwood, from West Mercia Police, said: “The rising trend of ‘urban explorers’ on social media brings with it the risk of prosecution to those caught entering private premises illegally and/or without permission.

“We are keen to warn anyone wanting to create this content in the West Mercia force area we will investigate accordingly if we believe they are in breach of the law, such as those around trespassing and burglary.

“Our advice to content creators filming here is to check the law, always have permission from property owners or landowners to visit sites, not to endanger their own lives, or those of others, and to be responsible for the videos they share in the public domain as they could in turn be fuelling crime.”