Police have apologised for breaking down the front door of an Aberdeen teacher’s family home then handcuffing him in front of his children in a case of mistaken identity.
Officers swooped on the man’s house, in the Berryden area of the city, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
It is understood they had received an emergency call regarding an intruder.
Charging inside the property at around 1am, police woke the teacher and his family then placed him in handcuffs.
But they quickly realised they were at the incorrect address, released the wrongly-accused suspect and left.
They have since apologised in person and offered the family compensation to repair the damage to their home.
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While the entire scenario unfolded in just “a matter of minutes,” concerns have been raised that the error could have led to disastrous consequences.
North East Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said: “I’m glad officers realised their error and that Police Scotland has offered compensation for such an unwelcome visit.
“This has clearly been a difficult experience for all concerned.
“It should not, however, put police officers off doing their job in responding to reports of domestic disputes as quickly as possible.”
Chief Inspector Neil McDonald said: “Officers responding to an emergency concern call, on Thursday March 14 in the Berryden area of Aberdeen, attended the wrong address.
“The error was quickly realised and the correct address was identified and the call dealt with.
“The residents affected have been visited and given a personal apology for this error, the inconvenience caused and to make arrangements for any necessary repairs.”
He added: “Errors such as this are rare in nature however we do not underestimate the impact this would have had.
“We receive and respond to hundreds of calls a day and where a mistake in process has been identified this will be thoroughly reviewed.”
