Youths accessing ‘dangerous’ building at risk of serious harm in Portishead

Parents are urged to discourage their teenage children from accessing the site of an abandoned care home in Portishead which poses a significant health and safety risk.

We are receiving multiple reports that young people are continuing to gain unauthorised entry to the former Petersfield Elderly Persons Home, in Church Road South, causing further damage to a building which is already considered dangerous.

The building is not deemed safe to be entered by anyone other than qualified tradesmen and young people are gaining access to the site the south boundary wall near Parsonage Court, which is distressing to residents.

The owners are aware and we are providing them with security advice.

Three youths with ski masks and balaclavas were seen leaving the site, which is surrounded by security fencing and pods which alert a security company when motion is detected, on Friday 11 July. One person has already been identified.

Sgt Timothy Stride, from the North Portishead and Clevedon neighbourhood policing team, said: “We urge people to stay away for their own safety. The building is unsafe and anybody who accesses it is at risk of serious injury, or worse, and we are urging parents to make sure they know where their children are and to make sure they are aware of the dangers they potentially face at this site.

“The risks are not only associated within the building, but trying to gain access via rooftops is particularly dangerous.

“We are conducting additional patrols of the area and are responding to calls to the site, but what we want to reiterate is this building is extremely unsafe, and people should stop trying to access it.”

Local officers remain committed to tackling the issues surrounding the Lake Grounds, Wyndham Way Retail Park, Battery Road, the marina and Harbour Road.

Anybody with information on the incident on 11 July, or other relevant information regarding criminal damage at the site, are urged to contact us.