Concerned businesses can report issues to the game’s developer

Players of the hit Pokémon Go game will go to great lengths to “catch ‘em all”, including in some cases trespassing on building sites, as Building reported yesterday.

The hit “augmented reality” game hides “pocket monsters” and playable interactive locations in the real world. This can be a problem if that includes your under-construction project.

So what should you do if digital monsters pop up on your site?

Niantic, Pokémon Go’s developer, has an online form you can fill in here to report and request the removal of interactive locations within the game known as “stops” or “gyms”.

These in-game locations have been known to be inaccessible to the public without trespassing, either because they are on a construction site or on private land. This can be because the game’s engine is based on out-of-date mapping data.

But what about the digital monsters themselves? Niantic doesn’t currently have a reporting system for errant Pokémon.

It is likely this is because Pokémon only ever appear in a location temporarily, unlike the fixed stops and gyms.

The game also frequently warns players not to trespass upon loading the game. A typical message reads: “Do not enter dangerous areas while playing Pokémon Go”.

But for players minded to avoid these warnings, the game could still potentially tempt them into trespassing.

The game constantly alerts players if there are Pokémon nearby, a function that might lure reckless players into restricted areas in their efforts to hunt them down.

Third party apps also exist that scan a given area for Pokémon and pinpoints them on a map, with an estimate of how many minutes they’re likely to be there before disappearing. Could this tempt players onto building sites as well?

As part of our investigation this week we found 50-plus instances of Pokémon Go players trespassing onto construction sites.

Some organisations - including Network Rail, Bam Construct and the Home Builders Federation - have warned staff and the general public about the dangers of hunting Pokémon on construction sites.

Bam has emailed us a photograph of one such warning on one of its hoardings (see below).

Found a Pokémon, stop or gym on your site? Issued a safety warning about the game? If you’d like to share, email newsdesk@ubm.com

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