‘Urban exploring’ is putting people at risk of injury as the craze resurfaces with youngsters filming themselves inside abandoned buildings for social media clout.
The trend is a global one, with countless videos of thrill-seekers accessing secure locations and abandoned facilities quickly drawing in thousands of views. Some individuals also document themselves evading security personnel while sneaking in and out of closed-off areas.
A Tik Tok account showing groups of people exploring derelict buildings in Guernsey such as old hotels, houses, and some States owned properties had been lying dormant since November. That seemed to coincide with a warning issued by Guernsey Police about the dangers they and other ‘urban explorers’ faced, just months after a similar warning had been issued.
Now, that account has been woken up with new videos posted over the past six weeks.
Some of the people in the videos look to be young teenagers, and Express has chosen not to show their faces.
A spokesperson for Guernsey Police confirmed that officers have recently had to deal with these matters again and that the incidents involved young people.
Where any criminal prosecutions have followed the youngsters would have been referred to the Children’s Convenor meaning the outcomes are kept confidential, however Guernsey Police have issued another warning to any self proclaimed ‘urban explorers’.
“In recent months, officers have responded to a number of reports involving young people gathering in abandoned buildings and, on occasion, committing offences like criminal damage while inside,” the police spokesperson said.
“This growing trend not only endangers those young people but also risks the safety of emergency services attending these callouts.
“Abandoned buildings often present significant risks, from questionable structural integrity and smashed glass to health hazards like asbestos and black mould. There is also the danger of potential injuries while entering or exiting these premises.”
The recent videos shared to Tik Tok include the youngsters entering one premises where a sign warning of asbestos is visible.
A comment on that video warns the urban explorers to be careful but the account responds saying “I love the stuff”. A comment on another video states “I just love asbestos”, suggesting that they either don’t appreciate the risks associated with exposure to asbestos or they don’t care.
The Guernsey Police spokesperson said parents need to step up and keep a closer eye on their children if they are involved in these risky activities, to prevent them being exposed to such unnecessary risks.
“We would urge parents to please remain vigilant about where your children are and talk to them about the dangerous of ‘urban exploring’. Together, we can prevent unnecessary risks to their safety and the safety of others.
“It’s simple really: people shouldn’t be inside of these properties. Entering abandoned buildings is seriously dangerous and could constitute an offence.”
One of the buildings entered in one of the most recent videos posted publicly was the States owned Castel Hospital.
Although arguably ‘derelict’ in the main, it is not entirely abandoned as the community nurses still work out of facilities on that site.
The police spokesperson said it is up to all property owners to make sure their buildings are secured to try and prevent urban explorers getting access.
“We’d also like to urge owners to secure any vacant properties they have to prevent unauthorised access in the first place.
“Property owners should be ensuring all doors onto the premises are locked and secure, that windows are locked or boarded up securely if they are damaged, and that there are no other easy ways of accessing the property.
“If you need guidance on securing your property, you can call our Crime Reduction Advisor on 01481 222 222.”
The urban exploring craze has reached Jersey too, with police officers there having to deal with youngsters scaling the roof of Fort Regent, entering the former St Saviour’s Hospital building, and other ‘abandoned’ sites.
The TikTok user behind the St Saviour’s Hospital video has also posted footage taken inside some of the tunnels built by the Germans during the Occupation.
This has been highlighted as an issue in Jersey because two teenage boys died exploring a tunnel in 1962.
Their deaths were seemingly referenced in one of the social media videos, which was titled: “Exploring abandoned nazi war tunnels…where two boys suffocated in 1963 [sic].”
Chief Inspector Craig Jackson said the States of Jersey police “have received calls about this, particularly in relation to Fort Regent”.
“We are concerned about the safety risks this poses to those involved,” he added. “While the buildings aren’t ‘abandoned’ they can be structurally unsafe and full of hazards that put the lives of those entering them at risk, not to mention those of the emergency services who will be called if they get into trouble.”