Dozens of People Living In Teesside Given ‘Osman Warnings’ by Police...
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
Safer Streets or Hidden Danger? The Truth Behind Teesside’s ‘Threat to Life’ Warnings
26th April 2026
Fresh figures obtained from Cleveland Police have revealed how often officers are warning individuals living on Teesside that their lives could be at risk — with dozens of so-called “Osman warnings” issued in recent years.
“Osman warnings” — formally known as threat-to-life notices — are issued when police receive intelligence suggesting a person may be in danger of serious harm or death. The term originates from the landmark Osman v United Kingdom ruling, which established that authorities have a duty to warn individuals if a real and immediate risk to life is identified.
According to the FOI data seen by the Teesside & Durham Post, the number of warnings issued by Cleveland Police increased from 2020 onwards, then took a significant drop from 2024 onwards:
2020: 35
2021: 27
2022: 45 (peak year)
2023: 36
2024: 18
2025 (to 27 January): 1
Who's being warned?
The data also reveals that the number of notices handed out to those Under 18 were almost non-existent with only 1 case recorded back in 2024, the Gender split also makes the figures more interesting when its revealed that Overwhelmingly male recipients year-on-year made up the highest numbers 39 men vs 6 women in 2022. This strongly suggests the warnings are largely tied to adult male risk environments, such as organised crime or high-level disputes.
How Cleveland compares to the rest of the UK
While Teesside has a significantly high proportion of organised criminal activity reported, the figures compared nationally reveal that Cleveland’s figures are in fact relatively modest, with The Metropolitan Police Service — the UK’s largest force — issuing:
210 warnings (2020)
159 (2021)
141 (2022)
192 (2023)
That’s four to six times higher than Cleveland, reflecting the scale and complexity of threats in the capital. Data from other UK forces also shows a wide variation, with Greater Manchester Police reporting around 445 warnings in 2021 alone among some of the highest rates in the country.
In contrast, Humberside Police reported roughly 144 warnings in 2021, North Yorkshire Police
Around 55 warnings in 2022, & Police Scotland Around 20 warnings in 2021 (Comparable to Cleveland’s lower years)
While Cleveland’s numbers are lower than major urban forces, the data still highlights an important reality in that Dozens of people living on Teesside are being warned each year that their lives may be at risk, with Cleveland, whilst not among the highest-risk areas nationally is still dealing with a significant level of serious threats behind the scenes...
