Grandmother quizzed by police after an unhappy neighbour complained about her splashing his car while watering her plants
Retired Lynda Middleton, 73, received a telling off from two PCSOs for watering her hanging baskets and accidentally splashing her neighbours car
A GRAN was grilled by cops after splashing a parked car as she watered plants on the balcony of her first-floor flat.
Lynda Middleton, 73, said she was made to “feel like a criminal” by the two officers.
A neighbour claimed the water sent dirt from the hanging basket on to the roof of his car below.
Lynda revealed the community support officers warned her not to do it when the vehicle was there.
The gran of five said: “I was still half asleep when they came round. My first thought was for my boys who live overseas. I thought something might have happened to them. I was very frightened and my heart was pounding.
“But then they said they had called about me watering my flowers. I was devastated. I couldn’t believe after living here for over 20 years that someone had complained.
“I don’t think I’m a criminal but they made me feel like one. Nobody can believe they’d waste their time speaking to me with other issues going on in the area.”
Daughter Emma, 42, later called Hertfordshire Police to ask why they had visited her mum in Borehamwood.
She said: “How can my mum do damage to a car with her watering can? I mean, it rains. Does this neighbour call the police about the weather damaging his car? The fact the police sent two community support officers out is absurd.”
The force said the officers stressed no one was at fault, adding: “They were simply there to help resolve the issue and provided possible solutions.”
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But Conservative MP Robert Buckland, Solicitor General for England and Wales, said: “This should be left to the common sense of residents rather than involving the police in such a trivial matter.”
Fellow Tory MP Andrew Bridgen added cops have “much more important things to investigate”