In October last year, three different flats at Great Dover Street Apartments (GDSA), a King’s Hall of residence, were broken into on separate occasions.
This article was originally published in Roar’s Spring 2026 print edition.
A freedom of information (FOI) request made by Roar confirmed that the perpetrators stole personal belongings, including wallets and laptops.
Students told Roar that in one instance, the perpetrator was able to enter the block of flats undetected by claiming to be maintenance, while in the latest break-in, the perpetrator broke in through a flat window facing the street.
‘My laptop, all my jewellery and some of my cash had been taken’
In one case, the perpetrator was able to enter the building using a keycard they had managed to acquire from a GDSA resident, Roar has learnt.
The flat door was not properly closed, and the door of the victim’s room was unlocked, allowing the perpetrator to enter the room and steal her purse. The perpetrator then apparently hit other blocks and was seen by multiple people.
Another student, who asked not to be named, had her room broken into through her street-facing window. She had been returning from another flat in the accommodation at 11pm when she discovered the burglary had taken place:
“When I came in, my window was wide open. My laptop, all my jewellery and some of my cash had been taken. There were muddy footprints on the bed and leaves everywhere.”
Police told her they would not be pursuing the case as the accommodation’s CCTV footage was not sufficiently clear.
In response to Roar‘s FOI request, King’s provided some information on the break-ins but withheld other details, citing concerns that disclosing certain security measures or methods may encourage further attempts.
Efforts feel ‘futile’
Many students feel left in the dark due to the lack of communication. In a survey of Roar readers, one student commented on the situation:
“It felt weird because we heard about it first from other students rather than the residences people who sent an email about it days later – it would have been useful to know that someone is posing as maintenance so no one else gets robbed.”
Others agreed that a lack of communication from King’s administration in certain situations, such as the GDSA break-ins, had caused them to feel uneasy about their own safety.
Despite the concerns, 90% of students told Roar they do still feel safe in their King’s Hall of Residence.
However, multiple students commented that, though their residences themselves were not an issue, the area around their accommodations made them feel unsafe. An international student told Roar:
“We have reported incidents to the accommodation, professors at Uni, the Met Police and it feels like a futile effort since we’ve been told that if we want any action to be taken it needs to be reported by us.”
For many international students, it is difficult to report crimes to the police due to a lack of documents and permanent residence. The student continued:
“Secondly, and most importantly, shouldn’t safety on and about the accommodation [be] guaranteed? …if I’m 10m away from [my] building why am I at the risk of having my phone stolen, assaulted or worse?”
Amongst other suggestions, students said that having improved lighting, as well as a stronger CCTV presence, would make them feel safer in and around their halls of residence.
King’s told Roar in response to a request for information that “additional steps have been taken to enhance security” within GDSA. However, the university refused to comment on the specific changes made.
A King’s College London spokesperson said:
“Making sure that students feel secure where they live is something that we take extremely seriously, and their safety and wellbeing is our top priority. When these events took place in October last year, we immediately reported them to the police and supported the three students who were affected with ongoing pastoral and practical support, information and guidance, as well as making welfare leads available on site for students who wanted to speak to someone.
“We increased the volume of our security personnel on site, and have since installed a new, enhanced CCTV system and additional physical safeguards, as well as continuing to work closely with our Neighbourhood Policing teams for guidance and practical support. We are pleased that the vast majority of our students feel safe in our accommodation, but always encourage anyone who has concerns to report these to us immediately using our dedicated SafeZone app or by speaking with our security or wellbeing leads.”
Students can contact campus security directly via the SafeZone app, which university staff recommend downloading for emergency use.
