Police admit WhatsApp arrest error with £20k payout
Police have paid out £20,000 in damages for unlawfully arresting a couple after they made complaints about their daughter's primary school, including on a WhatsApp group chat. Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen said it was an "emotional moment" when Hertfordshire Police accepted liability after they were wrongly held for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications. "We were just really pleased that Hertfordshire Constabulary have recognised that this shouldn't have happened," Mr Allen told the BBC. Hertfordshire Police said the "legal test around the necessity of arrest was not met in this instance," but there were no issues of misconduct involving any officer. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Allen said the couple felt relieved when they received the acknowledgement saying they had been wrongfully arrested. "It was quite an emotional moment when we got the news from the police a couple of days ago," said Mr Allen. He added, the ...