Second Birmingham Uni student comes forward about being watched through her bedroom blinds

A video has captured a man spying on a University of Birmingham medical student through the cracks in her blinds while she was in her room at night.

The fifth year student, whose name we’re changing to Ella, said the incident happened on Bournbrook Road in July 2024 during the university’s summer break. Although many students were away at the time, she had already returned for the start of term.

Ella was alerted to the incident the following morning by a neighbour across the road, who wasn’t sure if the man was someone living in her house. After confirming it wasn’t, another neighbour provided CCTV footage which clearly showed the man walking up to the house around 10pm, peering through the blinds while her bedroom light was on.

“He stayed for about 10 minutes,” she explained, adding that he would leave after she’d turn the light off.

The student reported the incident to West Midlands Police, who took statements from her and the neighbour and collected the CCTV footage.

She said that whilst the police were helpful, officers told her he technically “isn’t committing a crime.” Ella also contacted the university’s campus police, who she described as “very helpful” and who provided personal and window alarms while liaising with Bournville Police.

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Just four days later, the man returned. This time, the student saw him through the blinds from inside her room and made direct eye contact. She immediately contacted the neighbour again to ask for more CCTV footage, which confirmed the man had been watching the house again—this time for nearly 20 minutes—before leaving after realising he’d been seen.

She phoned the police again that evening as she had been instructed to do, but said no officers were sent out.

The next night, her father travelled up from London to support her. Two male housemates also sat in a car outside the property, hoping to identify the man if he returned.

Ella told The Birmingham Tab: “They thought they saw someone matching his description but he was put off by the fact two people were sat outside my house and we couldn’t say for certain if it was the right person.”

The medical student described the whole experience as “distressing”, adding: “I didn’t feel safe in my house or walking around Selly, especially as these events happened not particularly late at night.” Ella added that it was clear he wasn’t looking to rob the house as hers ”was the only house that was inhabited during this period” due to most neighbours being away for summer holidays.

She installed a Ring camera and blackout curtains at her own expense. “My landlord was very unhelpful,” she explained. “Our porch door was broken and the man would stand in the porch on the cctv, and we had asked him to fix this many times and it took the police telling him that he needed to fix it for any action to be taken.”

Ella noted that university staff were the extremely supportive throughout the ordeal. “They arranged meetings with me, took both sets of the CCTV footage and we went through it thoroughly.”

Adding: “The university did offer to arrange counselling, to help me process the distress which I felt was very helpful and nice of them.”

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “Officers carried out extensive enquiries after a man was reported looking in through windows and trying a door at a property in Bournbrook Road, Birmingham between 23th and 28th July last year.

“Door-to-door enquiries have been carried out with CCTV, including doorbell footage, being reviewed as we worked to identify a suspect.

“Officers from our dedicated universities team have also been in contact with the victim and offered support.

“If anyone has any further information please contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 and quoting crime reference number 20/712751/24.

“For advice about staying safe, click through to our student support platforms saferstudents.co.uk and @saferstudents.”

If you have experienced an incident like this, you can contact [email protected], who will keep your identity anonymous, if requested.