If you think someone is following you, don’t go home. Check by crossing the road or changing direction, then head for the nearest busy, well-lit place such as a shop, pub or petrol station, tell staff what is happening, and call 999 if you feel in danger. On a train, tell staff or text British Transport Police on 61016; in a car, drive to a police station or a busy place. If it happens more than once, it may be stalking, and you can report it.
Updated 2 October 2026 · Sources: British Transport Police, West Yorkshire Police, Metropolitan Police, Suzy Lamplugh Trust (National Stalking Helpline), legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK
Being followed: 5 steps, in order
1. Check
2. Don’t go home
3. Go somewhere busy
4. Tell someone
5. Call 999
Being followed: what to do, by situation
▲ act now ▬ report as soon as you can ▼ get advice and report. Checked 2 October 2026 against British Transport Police, West Yorkshire Police and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
How can I tell if someone is really following me?
Change something and watch what they do. Cross the road, turn into a different street, speed up or slow down, or stop at a lit shop window and use the reflection. One coincidence is common; the same person matching your changes two or three times is a warning sign. Don’t wait until you are sure before moving towards people and lights.
Where should I go if I’m being followed?
Go to the nearest place with people and staff: an open shop, pub, restaurant, petrol station, hotel reception or a staffed station. Tell the staff you think you’re being followed and ask to wait inside. Avoid going home, into a quiet car park, or into an empty park or side street, even if it is a shortcut.
Should I call 999 or 101?
What if a car is following me?
If you are on foot, turn and walk the other way, so the driver would have to turn round to keep following, and head for a busy, well-lit place such as an open shop. If you are driving, don’t go home and don’t stop in a quiet place: keep driving to a busy, lit area, or to a police station only if you know it is open, and call 999 hands-free. Try to note the registration, make, model and colour.
What if it keeps happening?
Being followed repeatedly by the same person, or being watched, messaged or turned up on, can be stalking, which is a crime. Keep a simple log with dates, times, places and descriptions, save messages and screenshots, and report it to the police. The National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, gives free advice on 0808 802 0300; it is open on weekdays and closed at weekends and on bank holidays.
What to do if someone follows you on a train or bus
Move towards staff and other passengers. West Yorkshire Police advises sitting downstairs near the driver on a bus, avoiding empty train carriages, and telling the guard or driver, who can stay with you. On trains, the Tube and at stations, text British Transport Police on 61016 for non-emergencies; call 999 if you are in danger. Read more on crime on UK trains and the Tube, and use our walking home checklist for the last stretch.
What to do if you’re being followed in a car (driving)
Don’t drive home. West Yorkshire Police advises driving straight to the nearest police station or, if you don’t know where it is, to a place where there will be people, such as a shop or petrol station. If you feel in danger, call 999 using hands-free and give the car’s registration, make and colour. If speaking is unsafe, see how a silent 999 call works.
When does being followed become stalking?
When it is part of a pattern. Harassment and stalking offences need a “course of conduct”, which for one person means at least two occasions, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 lists following, loitering, and watching or spying as stalking behaviours. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust calls it repeated, unwanted behaviour that causes fear or distress. See our step-by-step stalking guide, and for one-off comments, street harassment law.
Frequently asked questions
Usually not. Your aim is to get somewhere safe with other people around, not to find out what they want. A confrontation in a quiet street can escalate.
Where you are, which way you are heading, and a description: height, build, clothing, anything distinctive, and a vehicle registration if there is one.
Yes. Call 101 or report online. Reports help the police spot patterns, and if the person does it again there is already a record.
Victim Support’s free Supportline is open 24/7 in England and Wales on 08 08 16 89 111, whether or not you reported it.
Sources
- Suzy Lamplugh Trust: National Stalking Helpline contact information
- Metropolitan Police: How to make a silent 999 call
- GOV.UK: Using your phone while driving, the law
- British Transport Police: How to use 61016
- Victim Support: Supportline
- West Yorkshire Police: Personal safety while driving
- West Yorkshire Police: Personal safety on public transport
- legislation.gov.uk: Protection from Harassment Act 1997, section 2A (stalking)
- legislation.gov.uk: Protection from Harassment Act 1997, section 7 (course of conduct)
- Suzy Lamplugh Trust: What is stalking?
General safety information, not legal advice. In an emergency, always call 999.
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