POLICE: SORRY WE THOUGHT YOUR BOILER WAS A CANNABIS FACTORY

A MUM-TO-BE today told how police smashed their way into her
Merseyside home -- expecting to find a cannabis farm.

Cops swooped at the house in Green Gates, Huyton, on Tuesday while
seven-months-pregnant Nicola King and her boyfriend were asleep in bed.

It appears sophisticated computer equipment aboard the force
helicopter detected an unusual heat source coming from the roof of the house.

But a quick search of the property revealed it was coming from an
uninsulated boiler located in the loft.

Today Merseyside Police apologised to the couple for any distress
caused by the early morning drama.

But they say the smashed down door could cost as much as UKP400 to repair.

Nicola, 24, said the 10-strong squad burst into the house at 7.30am
as she and her delivery man partner James Dowding, 22, dozed upstairs.

She told the ECHO: "We heard a banging sound which seemed like
someone was kicking a football against the wall.

"Then there was a big smash and there were loads of police dressed in
riot gear with guns running about the house.

"My partner went downstairs and they pushed him face down onto the couch.

"They went straight to the loft but soon realised there was nothing
there and they had made a mistake.

"They just tried to make a joke about it and when we asked about the
damage they said 'you may get money back, but we can't guarantee it'.

"They could have handled this much better. They made a mistake and
yet we have to pick up the pieces and pay for the damage."

Nicola said she has already forked out UKP200 for a new door.

But further joinery work is likely to push the overall cost of damage
towards UKP400.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "We would like to apologise for
any distress the occupants experienced.

"The address was visited as part of a series of planned raids on that day.

"We do carry out rigorous checks prior to execution of warrants but,
regrettably on this occasion, the information available to us was misleading.

"Drug raids obviously involve an element of covert and tactical
policing for them to be productive. We would like to reassure the
community that a further warrant carried out that day, with similar
information, led to the finding of a cannabis farm and the arrest of
two people for the cultivation of cannabis.

"These raids were part of Merseyside Police's war on drugs
specifically around the production of cannabis."

The spokesman said the couple could apply to the force to claim
compensation for the damage caused to their door.