Hamilton drugs bust cops target wrong flat

Nov 26 2009 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

A YOUNG man this week told of his shock after police battered down his door - BY MISTAKE - during a bungled drugs raid in Hamilton.

Officers smashed in the front door of Anthony Moore’s flat in Low Waters Road last Tuesday at about 4.50pm.

The 23-year-old was getting a haircut at his work, Kasi’s Cadzow Bridge Barber Shop, also in Low Water’s Road, when the botched operation took place.

About 15 officers searching for drugs swooped on Anthony’s flat.

He said: “I was in the hairdresser’s about three or four doors down from my flat.

“My landlord just happened to be walking past when he saw 15 officers with batons battering down my door.

“He came into the hairdressers and told me what was going on.

“I went to my flat and told the officers that I live in the flat.

“They told me the number of flat they were looking for... and I told them that had got the wrong flat.

“I think they were hoping to catch a drug dealer unawares, but they were at the wrong flat.

“But with all the noise and commotion they would have alerted any drug dealer to what was going on.

“You would have thought that the police would have planned this raid thoroughly and at least gone to the right door.

“This was such a waste of police time and money.”

Police have agreed to compensate Anthony for the damage caused to his flat during the raid.

Anthony, who has lived in his flat for about a year, added: “They have damaged the door and the full wooden frame at the door, the walls and the carpet.

“They have given me a reference number, I think for compensation, and I am waiting on someone from the police to call me back.”

A Hamilton police spokeswoman said: “It was a genuine mistake on our part and we have agreed to repair the damage.

“We have asked the gentleman to get three quotes for the repairs for the damage and we will compensate him.

“This doesn’t happen much, but when it does we fully rectify it.”