Self-styled vigilantes confronted three Indian students in Meriden Park in UK and ordered them to leave. The group later defended its patrols in a Facebook post, claiming they were prompted by reports of missing children and rapes in the area.

Three Indian students out for a walk in a park in England were confronted by a group of self-styled vigilantes, filmed and told not to return. The group, calling itself the Chelmsley Wood Patriots, was patrolling Meriden Park in Solihull, claiming it wanted to protect women and children.

But a video of the encounter, first reported by British news outlet Metro, showed members questioning the Indian men about their presence in England before ordering them to leave the public space. The video was later deleted from the group’s social media account but continued circulating elsewhere.

‘WHAT MADE YOU COME TO ENGLAND?’

In the video, a member of the group approaches one of the men and asks: “What made you come to England?”

One of the students explains that they usually live in Birmingham and had moved to the area that day. Another says he came to England to pursue a master’s degree and had been in the country for two years.

The exchange then turns into a warning. One of the men tells the students: “What you need to do is stay away from a children’s park. Do not come round here again. Do not be seen here again. This is your final warning.”

“You will not get a warning again, stay away, stay away!”

“Go back to your house yeah and stay away. Take yourself back to where you f****g live. Back to the HMO, go home, go home.”

An HMO, or house in multiple occupation, is a property shared by people who are not all part of the same household. Such accommodation is common among students and other renters in the UK.

VIGILANTES DEFEND NIGHT PATROLS

The group later defended its patrols in a Facebook post, claiming they were prompted by reports of missing children and rapes in the area. It said its members had approached the men after finding them near trees and toilets in the park at night. The group wrote: “Our patriots walked around in silence up behind the man, tapped his shoulder & asked what he was doing in the park.”

“They asked why are they in a park in the dark only to be told they were exploring. This is why we then decided to film these men show you their responses because they all fumbled with very different stories.”

The group claimed it had “politely” asked the men to leave, arguing: “Parks are for children, family units, not three grown men sitting in the dark filming when we have so many uncertainties at present.”

However, local activists challenged the justification for confronting the students and questioned whether their ethnicity had influenced the group’s actions.

ACTIVISTS ALLEGE RACIAL TARGETING

According to local media, Solihull Green Party condemned the incident, saying there was no apparent reason for the approach other than the students’ ethnicity. The party said it was trying to trace the men to check on their welfare.

Green council candidate and community activist Shesh Sheshabhatter also criticised the confrontation in comments to BirminghamLive.

“These young men were doing nothing wrong. Students are allowed to meet and walk outside, and they have every right to do so. We can see no reason they were targeted other than the colour of their skin,” he said.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Police said it was aware of reports about the incident and that an appropriate response was under way. Solihull Police also confirmed it was aware of the group operating in the Chelmsley Wood area and of footage showing men being stopped in Meriden Park, reported local media.

WHY IT MATTERS FOR INDIAN STUDENTS

The UK continues to attract a large number of Indian students, making them one of the country’s biggest international student communities. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), 146,480 Indian students were enrolled at UK universities in the 2024-25 academic year, more than from any other overseas country for the third consecutive year. The figures were published on January 27, 2026.

More recent statistics indicate that India was among the top two countries with sponsored study visa holders in the year ending June 2026, along with China. According to the UK Home Office, 83,000 study visas were issued to Indian applicants during that time period.