A mother of two was left in police custody for more than seven hours after confiscating her daughters' iPads to prevent them from being distracted from their studies. Vanessa Brown, a 50-year-old history teacher from Cobham, Surrey, was arrested on suspicion of theft, despite the devices belonging to her own children.
Ms Brown described the ordeal as causing "unspeakable devastation and trauma" after she was taken to Staines police station, where she was searched, photographed, and fingerprinted. She said she was still traumatised by the experience and criticised the police's "heavy-handed" approach.
The incident began when a man in his 40s, believed to be connected to the family, reported the alleged theft to Surrey Police. Officers tracked the devices to Ms Brown's mother’s address, where she was staying, and arrested her. Police also visited the children's school, removing one daughter from class to assist with enquiries.
After her arrest, Ms Brown was held in a custody cell for more than seven hours and was released on conditional bail. One of the bail conditions included prohibiting her from speaking to her daughters, who were considered witnesses in the case, even though Mother's Day was approaching. It took over 24 hours for police to inform Ms Brown that no further action would be taken.
Following their investigation, Surrey Police admitted that Ms Brown was entitled to confiscate items belonging to her own children. A spokesperson said that once officers established the ownership of the devices, Ms Brown was released and the case was closed.
Speaking to LBC, Ms Brown said, "I find it quite traumatic even talking about this now." She questioned why multiple police cars were dispatched so quickly over a false allegation, particularly when more serious crimes often do not receive such an urgent response.
"They were able to send a police car with officers to my children’s school, another car to arrest me, and yet other people are waiting days for help with violent crimes," she said. "At no point did they think to themselves, 'Oh, this is a little bit of an overreaction.' It was thoroughly unprofessional."
Ms Brown also criticised the way police spoke to her elderly mother, who is in her 80s, saying officers treated her as if she were a criminal.
The Conservative MP Anthony Stansfeld, a former police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, called on Surrey Police to apologise personally for the handling of the situation. He described the incident as "incompetence" combined with "overzealousness" and said a senior officer should have stopped it before it escalated.
"It was quite unnecessary to put a reputable 50-year-old history teacher into a cell for seven hours," Mr Stansfeld said. "It’s hardly likely that she would have absconded abroad. I would hope that the chief constable apologises personally to her."
In a statement, Surrey Police said, "A man in his 40s reported the possible theft of iPads. A tracking device on the iPads showed they were at an address linked to the woman. A 50-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of theft. The devices were located after a search and she was released on conditional bail while enquiries were carried out. Officers subsequently confirmed that the woman was entitled to confiscate the devices."
The incident comes amid growing concerns about police priorities and use of resources. It follows a separate case involving Maxie Allen, a Times Radio producer, and his partner Rosalind Levine, who were arrested last month after raising concerns about their daughter's primary school.
The couple had complained on a parents’ WhatsApp group about teacher recruitment at Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Following the messages, six police officers arrived at their home, arresting the couple in front of their crying daughter.
They were held in custody for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications. After a five-week investigation, Hertfordshire Constabulary concluded there was no case to answer.
Mr Allen, 50, described the police response as "dystopian" and "a massive overreach," accusing the school of attempting to "silence awkward parents." He said, "It was just unfathomable that a public authority could use the police to shut down a legitimate inquiry."
Hertfordshire Police defended the number of officers sent, saying it was necessary to secure electronic devices and ensure the children's welfare. A spokesperson said, "The arrests were necessary to fully investigate the allegations. Following further investigations, officers deemed that no further action should be taken due to insufficient evidence."
Both cases have prompted wider debate about police decision-making, proportionality, and resource allocation, with critics warning that overzealous policing risks damaging public trust.
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