Police damage but they won't pay

ivor_the_engine

Can you help.

Brothers house was broken into by the police, due to a neighbour reporting they could hear someone shouting for help but did not know where the shouting was coming from, after knocking on several doors of others neighbours who all answered and confirmed they could not hear anything they got to his door no answer due been a work decided to smash the front and the back destroying both doors, found house empty and called a boarding up service to make house secure. So because of a phone report the police will not accept responsibility for the damage they caused even though there was no notice and no-one in the house so he must pay several thousands for 2 doors and the boarding up service caused by an over enthusiastic coppers breaking into an empty house. The police claim the damage was caused with good intentions for welfare reasons but this doesn't seem fair to be out of pocket no reason. His house insurance is contents only no cover, the buildings insurance is covered by Birmingham city council with a basic policy which also will not cover the police damage but is it even fair to be forced to claim on your own insurance for damage by police.

Can you help!!!

Doozergirl

Might be worth trying his local MP? 

DullGreyGuy

Guidance to the police is that they shouldn't pay compensation when the entry was lawful and reasonable. As a consequence compensation is typically only really paid when the officers make a mistake and enter the wrong property. Haven't known it happen personally but given how some address are written and how often the postman messes up you can understand how the police could too. 

I guess in this case the question is really why it was necessary to breakdown two external doors to gain entry? Unless they failed to get though one and only accessed via the other. 

Home insurance will often cover this if not related to criminal activity and they'll attempt recovery from the police should they think there are grounds. 

JosephK

You state buildings cover is provided by Birmingham City Council, so is he homeowner or council tenant? If the latter, should it not be up to council to sort out?

ic

Hang on - this is a council house?  If so the council are responsible for making good the damage as they are the landlord.

ivor_the_engine

ic said:

Hang on - this is a council house?  If so the council are responsible for making good the damage as they are the landlord.

It's a private owed property in a council building 

ivor_the_engine

JosephK said:

You state buildings cover is provided by Birmingham City Council, so is he homeowner or council tenant? If the latter, should it not be up to council to sort out?

It's a private owed property with a mortgage in a council building 

TELLIT01

The police acted lawfully.  Doesn't the brother have insurance on his property?

I understand that the situation isn't a nice one to find himself in, but how would he and the family feel if there had been a genuine emergency and the police had simply walked away because there was no answer?

outtatune

Are you saying the Police left the property insecure? That's not acceptable.

Veteransaver

Complaint to the IPCC and local MP and go to the press? To cause such extensive damage to 2 entry points sounds pretty heavy handed / negligent of the police. Why not smash a ground floor window to gain entry? Much less damage to fix.

redped

TELLIT01 said:

The police acted lawfully.  Doesn't the brother have insurance on his property?

I understand that the situation isn't a nice one to find himself in, but how would he and the family feel if there had been a genuine emergency and the police had simply walked away because there was no answer?

Nobody has said the police should have simply walked away; the OP and his brother are just saying the police should admit they made a mistake and pay for it.