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11
Sept
Police respond to 'urban explorer' entering Boroughbridge High School
A man who labels himself an abandoned building explorer faced backlash on social media after entering Boroughbridge High School.
The video, posted four days ago (September 6), shows him buzz the gate and say: “Is anybody in? I’m here to take over your bundle.”
Den, who posts on the Facebook page Explore with Den, and another man then squeeze under the school gate, and state they’re there because they’ve heard the school is closed.
In reality, the sixth form has closed but the secondary school is still open – it was just summer holidays.
They proceed to try doors, which are locked, but find an unlocked window which opens wide enough for them to enter.
The Facebook page, which has 94,000 followers, also shows them entering The Wild Swan in Minskip, which closed last Christmas, and making false claims that the owner "scammed all his customers last year" and "got shut down".
They entered through what they said was an unlocked door – although viewers only saw it once opened – and found it ‘frozen in time’.
Video shows the tables still set up with cutlery and Christmas decorations hanging. Den then tries the till and the beer tap, which still has beer in it, before they go into the cellar, which is fully stocked.
The pair go upstairs, filming the kitchen and upstairs bar, as well as an office where they find money and paperwork.
The Facebook page also shows them ‘exploring’ other nearby areas, including the Old Corn Mill on the Harewood estate and the Fox and Hounds pub in Langthorpe.
The Stray Ferret contacted North Yorkshire Council, police, and Borougbridge High School to see if any action was being taken.
North Yorkshire Police said 'an incident was logged'.
Keeley Lockey-Smith, the Harrogate outer neighbourhood policing inspector, added:
While some people may see urban exploring as a harmless hobby, entering buildings without permission can be extremely dangerous and is not without consequences. What might seem like an opportunity to take photographs or create content for social media can quickly become a serious incident requiring a significant emergency response.
While some urban explorers may claim they are not causing damage, we know that these locations can also attract criminality, including trespass, burglary, vandalism, metal theft and anti-social behaviour. Reports of suspicious activity will be thoroughly investigated, and any offences identified will be dealt with robustly.
Our message is simple: stay out of private property unless you have permission to be there. By respecting these boundaries, you will help keep yourself safe and allow officers to focus on preventing crime, responding to incidents and protecting our communities.
The council, which maintains the school, said it was a police matter, as an investigation was ongoing.
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