Watchdog Criticises Norfolk Police After Grieving Family Was Told to Call a Locksmith

A police watchdog has issued a sharp rebuke to Norfolk Police after call handlers advised a worried family to contact a locksmith instead of sending officers to check on their son, who was subsequently found dead.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded that the force's 101 call handlers should have referred Hobie Harrison's family to mental health services when they raised concerns, but instead suggested they hire a locksmith to gain entry to his flat.

Hobie, 30, was discovered dead in his Norwich home on 7 August 2025, a day after his parents first contacted police to request a welfare check because he had stopped responding to them.

Mark and Roberta Harrison had grown alarmed when their son, who normally got in touch several times a day, fell silent for more than 24 hours. The couple drove to his flat but found they could not open the door with their own key, because his key remained inserted in the lock from the inside.

According to the IOPC, the call handlers who took their first call failed to ask sufficiently probing questions that would have helped them gauge the level of risk Hobie faced. The watchdog also found that the family was not given an adequate explanation of why officers would not be dispatched under the force's Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) policy, which restricts police attendance at welfare calls to situations involving what it terms an "immediate risk to life".

Instead of arranging for officers to attend or directing the parents towards mental health support, the call handler, after consulting a supervisor, told them the matter did not meet the threshold for a police response and suggested they consider a locksmith. The family made a second request for a welfare check the following day, and officers who attended then found Hobie dead inside the property.

Hobie had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and developmental trauma and was under the care of the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust Community Mental Health Team. His parents, who adopted him as a child, said he also had a history of drug use. They described him as funny and mischievous, a man who loved music, played gigs and enjoyed gardening.

The IOPC's involvement extended beyond the handling of the initial calls. In October 2025, the family lodged a formal complaint with Norfolk Police about how their request had been dealt with. In its response to that complaint, the force told the parents that officers should not have attended either call, including the second one that resulted in the discovery of Hobie's body.

The watchdog described that reply as "unnecessary and insensitive", adding to its broader concerns about how the force is applying the RCRP framework.

David Ford, the IOPC's director of oversight and casework, said the watchdog had raised concerns with Norfolk Police about its interpretation of RCRP and how it monitors the initiative. As a result, he said, the force has committed to carrying out a review to examine whether there are any organisational learnings.

Norfolk Police said it was reviewing the IOPC's findings. The force declined to comment further because an inquest into Hobie's death has not yet taken place and is scheduled for November.

Mark Harrison spoke of the anguish of not knowing whether his son could have been saved. He said the family would never know whether Hobie was still alive when they first called police, or whether intervention at that point could have made a difference. He acknowledged it was possible his son had already died by then, but said the family would never have certainty.

Roberta Harrison described the silence from her son as deeply out of character. She said the lack of contact simply did not happen, which made it very unusual for him. The couple said they were certain he was inside the flat and that something was seriously wrong.

She also described the confusion and powerlessness the family felt after being told their concerns did not meet the threshold for a police response. She said they did not know how to make a decision at that point or what to do.

The case raises wider questions about the RCRP policy, which was introduced to reduce the time officers spend on mental health-related call-outs and to shift responsibility towards health and social care services. Under the approach, police forces are expected to attend only when there is an immediate risk to life, leaving other welfare concerns to partner agencies.

Supporters argue the policy allows officers to focus on crime and frees up resources, but critics warn that the threshold can be applied too rigidly, particularly when families are trying to convey complex risks and a loved one's history of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. The IOPC's findings suggest that in this instance, the assessment process failed to capture the seriousness of the situation and that the family was left without a clear route to help.

The watchdog's report also highlights the importance of call handlers asking detailed questions when mental health concerns are raised, and of explaining decisions transparently so that families understand why police may not attend and what alternatives exist.

Hobie's parents described him as having been in good spirits the last time they saw him before his death. They had reported to call handlers that he had a history of self-harm and had previously threatened suicide, information that the IOPC said should have prompted a referral to mental health services.

The case has echoes of previous concerns raised about police call handling in the region, including prior reports into deaths following contact with police. The IOPC's findings add pressure on Norfolk Police to demonstrate that its use of RCRP is consistent with safeguarding duties and that monitoring arrangements are robust enough to catch failures early.

For bereaved families, the consequences of such decisions are profound. Mark Harrison's reflection that the family will never know whether something could have been done captures the uncertainty that often follows a death where emergency services were contacted but did not attend.

The inquest due in November is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Hobie's death in more detail. Until then, Norfolk Police has said it cannot respond further, leaving the family and the watchdog awaiting answers about whether lessons will be learned.