A neighbour who called police after hearing shouting and a woman yelling “get off me” from Boris Johnson’s home has been criticised by some Tory media figures, prompting a debate about public duty versus privacy. The incident, which occurred in the early hours, saw the neighbour knock on the door and, receiving no reply, phone the police.
Dr Chris Morris of Kidderminster argues that the neighbour’s response was commendable, but that “normal standards” have been inverted because the man involved was Boris Johnson. He notes that Allison Pearson on the Today programme compared the neighbour to the Stasi, and that the “big society” concept is conveniently forgotten.
Val Collier of Manchester suggests that more “nosy neighbours” should intervene or call 999 when concerned about sounds from behind closed doors, despite police assurances that both individuals were safe in this case.
Sue Doughty of Twyford, Berkshire, however, cautions against excessive intervention, stating that most people have heard neighbours arguing but exercise discretion. She describes making a recording through a party wall and sending it to a newspaper as “un-neighbourly.”
Another letter writer questions the media interest, asserting that Johnson and his partner had a row and nothing more, and that he is entitled to a private life like anyone else.
