Police admit WhatsApp arrest error with £20k payout

Police have paid out £20,000 in damages for unlawfully arresting a couple after they made complaints about their daughter's primary school, including on a WhatsApp group chat.

Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen said it was an "emotional moment" when Hertfordshire Police accepted liability after they were wrongly held for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications.

"We were just really pleased that Hertfordshire Constabulary have recognised that this shouldn't have happened," Mr Allen told the BBC. ---More...

????WOW: Parents arrested for WhatsApp complaints about their daughter’s school win £20,000 damages from police.

Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen (who we interviewed in March) were detained for ‘Eight hours’ after six officers raided their home.

They were arrested for harassment… pic.twitter.com/sDMmnjo4Q1

— The British Patriot (@TheBritLad)November 17, 2025

Parents arrested for WhatsApp complaints about their daughter’s school win £20,000 damages from police.

Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen (who we interviewed in March) were detained for ‘Eight hours’ after six officers raided their home.

They were arrested for harassment and a nuisance after complaining about a head teacher in a WhatsApp group.

They say: “It was never about the money – it was about accountability.”