As UK schools break up for the summer holidays, a new warning has been issued to parents after videos tagged #urbex (urban exploring) racked up 13.7 billion views on TikTok, part of a wider urban exploration trend on the platform that has now surpassed 30 billion combined views - and which safety experts warn is luring children into derelict buildings, construction sites and abandoned factories.

The alert comes from VPS, a leading European temporary security specialist, which protects thousands of vacant and occupied properties across the UK, and who has published a new white paper, Safer Sites, Safer Futures, examining the surge in social media-driven “urbex” among children and teenagers and its escalating dangers.

The BBC verified in January 2026 that TikTok accounts were showing under-18s exploring power plants, slaughterhouses, care facilities and derelict factories across Northwest England. Cheshire Fire and Rescue has warned there is “no safe way to investigate an asbestos factory,” since disturbed asbestos fibres can enter the lungs and remain trapped indefinitely, while Merseyside Police has urged parents to talk to their children about the dangers after a rise in trespassing incidents in Southport.

VPS’s research also points to a troubling shift: rather than simply exploring, increasing numbers of younger trespassers are vandalising properties or setting them alight. School summer holidays are a known flashpoint, with trespass incidents on derelict sites and vacant buildings spiking every year once term ends.

VPS’s white paper draws on interviews with organisations across the property, facilities and safeguarding sectors, and its findings are unequivocal. José Rosa, VPS’ Insights Director, says “The data is stark: over 30 billion combined views of urban exploration content on TikTok alone, and a significant proportion of that audience is under 18. What’s changed is that social media doesn’t just reflect this trend, it actively drives it: a video posted today can send a group of teenagers to a specific derelict site tomorrow. That’s a new level of risk that property owners and site managers have to take seriously.”

José added: “A hashtag doesn’t warn a child about the hidden risks such as a collapsing floor, live electrics or asbestos. Every summer we see a spike in young people climbing into buildings that were never made safe for entry, and this year the online pull is stronger than ever. Property owners have a duty of care, and securing a site properly isn’t optional, it’s essential.”

But VPS argues that securing sites is only part of the answer. Giving young people somewhere better to be this summer is equally important - and businesses and organisations have a direct role to play. Tom Clarke-Forrest of Sport 4 Life UK, who contributed to the VPS white paper, is already working with companies to create free summer activities for young people who might otherwise have nothing to do and nowhere to go. If just ten businesses each supported one local five-a-side session or holiday sports event, that’s 50 young people on a football pitch rather than a building site. If a hundred businesses follow suit, that’s 5,000. The ask is small; the impact is real.

VPS is calling on property owners, developers, site managers and businesses of all sizes to review security ahead of the school holidays, and is offering its white paper Safer Sites, Safer Futures as a free resource.

To download the white paper “Safer Sites, Safer Futures”, or to arrange an interview with a VPS spokesperson, contact graham.sievers@knolepark.agency 07722282946

• A copy of the white paper “Safer Sites, Safer Futures” is available on request.

• TikTok hashtag statistics: #urbex (13.7bn views), #abandoned (13.2bn), #abandonedplaces (4.9bn), #urbanexploring (1.7bn); combined urban exploration hashtag views exceed 30 billion.

• Sport 4 Life UK is an organisation working with businesses and communities to create accessible sports activities for young people. Tom Clarke-Forrest of Sport 4 Life UK contributed to the VPS white paper Safer Sites, Safer Futures.

About VPS

VPS is Europe’s leading temporary security specialist, helping organisations protect people, property, assets and operations through a flexible, risk-based approach to security and resilience. They work across commercial, industrial and residential environments, supporting a wide range of sectors.

They assess site-specific risk and design end-to-end solutions spanning proactive threat intelligence, physical security, monitored technology, human intervention and specialist risk management expertise. This enables organisations to respond effectively to evolving threats while maintaining operational continuity and protecting critical assets.

www.vpsgroup.com

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