Posting rules

Draft: these rules are a starting draft for this site and are not legal advice. They should be reviewed by someone qualified in UK media and online safety law before the boards are promoted publicly.

These boards are for neighbours to talk about crime and safety in their area: patterns you've noticed, prevention tips, local meetings and how to get help. To keep everyone safe and within the law, every post must follow these rules. Moderators may hide or remove posts and suspend accounts that break them.

If a crime is happening or someone is in danger

• Call 999 in an emergency. Don't post here first.
• Report non-emergencies to the police on 101 or online through your local force.
• To give information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
• This site is not monitored by the police, and posting here is not reporting a crime.

1. Don't name, accuse or identify people

• Don't name or describe anyone as a suspect or offender, or say or imply that an identifiable person committed a crime. That includes nicknames, addresses, car registrations, workplaces, photos or videos, and "everyone knows who it is" hints.
• Saying someone did something they didn't do can be defamation, and you can be personally sued for what you post.
• Never identify victims, witnesses or children. Victims of sexual offences have lifelong anonymity by law.
• Talk about what happened and where in general terms ("a car was broken into on the high street on Tuesday night"), not who did it.

2. Don't discuss active court cases

• Once someone has been arrested or charged, a case is "active". Posting about the people involved, the evidence, guilt or innocence, or anything that could influence a jury may be contempt of court, which is a criminal offence.
• You may share links to reports by established news outlets, without adding your own claims or speculation.
• Moderators will hide threads about live cases, even when they are well meant.

3. No harassment, threats or hate

• No abuse, threats, intimidation or calls for anyone to take matters into their own hands.
• No content that is hateful because of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or any other protected characteristic.
• Don't share anyone's personal information: home addresses, phone numbers, social media accounts or photos.

4. Other rules

• Nothing illegal, including content that encourages or assists crime.
• No spam, advertising or fundraising without moderator permission.
• Use plain, respectful language. Disagree with ideas, not people.
• One account per person. Don't impersonate the police or anyone else.

Reporting a post

Every post has a Report button, and you don't need an account to use it. Tell us which rule you think it breaks. Moderators review reports and may hide or remove the post, lock the thread or suspend the author. We keep a log of moderation decisions.

If you are named in a post, believe a post is unlawful, or want to appeal a moderation decision, email esmith@eddiebase.com.

About the crime figures

Crime figures and locations come from data.police.uk. Locations are approximate and are never a reason to suspect a particular household or person.

Rules version: 2026-10-draft1