Teen arrested by Southport police for handing in phone

Apr 2 2009 by Mark Johnson, Crosby Herald

BIRTHDAY boy Paul Leicester got an unwelcome 18th birthday surprise when he was unduly arrested for handing in a mobile phone he found.

The model A-Level student, from Prior Road, Seaforth, told the Herald of his “shock experience” - Merseyside Police has since withdrawn the case.

Paul said: “It’s stupid. Being arrested isn’t a way to celebrate your 18th birthday. What are you supposed to do when you find a phone?

“I told the last caller I would drop it off at the police station the next day.

"But they arrested me for theft by finding – shocking.”

The teenager was then kept in Southport station for four hours on Mother’s Day and had his finger prints taken, along with a DNA swab and a photo for police records.

Officers at the station then grilled him for 15 minutes about the alleged ‘theft’.

Paul, of previous good character, has a Saturday job at Welding jewellers on Lord Street, Southport, and is held in high regard by his teachers at Southport College.

He added: “I want people to be aware of what happened. The police are harsh.

“I thought I was doing the right thing and had it thrown back in my face. I would not go to the police in future. I would arrange for it to be collected by the last caller.

“All I was doing was the honest thing. It was a shocking experience.”