Grandfather, 81, left ‘confused and bruised’ by arrest after police go to wrong address

An 81-year-old grandfather has been left bloodied and bruised after police went to the wrong address to investigate reports of a disturbance in the early hours of Friday morning.

He was arrested after two uniformed officers came to his home in response to reports of a disturbance in Potton, Bedfordshire, at about 5am.

The elderly man was taken into custody and left with bruises and bloody wounds to his wrists and arms.

His granddaughter, Kayla, tweeted about her grandfather’s arrest, sharing photos showing him with bruised and cut arms and a blood-stained vest.

Alongside the graphic images, she wrote: “My 81yr old grandad having been arrested because @BedsPolice got the wrong address at 3am.

“He was terrified, ill and it took 10 officers/6 vehicles to arrest him. Maybe his heart attack gave him superpowers? He’s in the cells, confused and bruised trying to defend himself.”

Bedfordshire Police also tweeted about the incident.

In a series of messages, they said two uniformed officers had initially approached the wrong address when responding to reports of a disturbance.

They said that officers had walked away from the house but were then approached in the street by a resident “holding a wooden implement”.

Bedfordshire Police said the two officers then called for back-up, but before the other units arrived “an altercation ensued where one of our officers tried to take the wooden implement from the resident, during which she sustained a cut to her face”.

They said the man was arrested on suspicion of assault on an emergency worker and taken into custody for a “brief period”. He has since been released under investigation.

It is not clear whether the “wooden implement” described is the walking stick used by the 81-year-old.

Detective Chief Superintendent Julie Henderson from Bedfordshire Police said: “We understand the concerns regarding this incident and are carrying out our own internal review.

“We have also voluntarily referred ourselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for full openness and transparency and to ascertain if there is any learning to be taken forward.

“Over the coming days the welfare of all those involved will be our primary concern.”