Father put in cells for smacking son

A father was arrested by police and locked in a cell overnight after smacking his son's bottom. Mark Frearson's young son had wandered off alone after dark while they were at a Plymouth shopping centre together.

Mr Frearson, who is separated from the boy's mother, found his son in a park 10 minutes later and smacked him once. But a passer-by reported it to Plymouth police and four officers arrived at his house, took him away and locked him in a cell awaiting questioning.

Mr Frearson, 47, a director at a parcel company, was released the next day at 1000 GMT, after the witness who had reported the smacking was interviewed and withdrew their accusation.



Mr Frearson has now made a formal complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. He said the police reaction was "massively over-the-top" and the experience was traumatic for his son.

He said: "I find it shocking how easy it is to have someone arrested. To think that all this happened on the back of one allegation.

"I appreciate the police's concern but I don't understand why they felt it necessary to arrest me and lock me up before interviewing me or the witness."