A mother has secured a £3,500 settlement from Suffolk Police after bodycam footage captured officers mocking her intimate items during a house search. Nichola Corr, 51, from north Essex, says the October 2023 raid was part of a drugs investigation allegedly involving a family member.
The Professional Standards Department found the officers' behaviour "unacceptable and unprofessional" but determined that formal disciplinary action was not required. The investigation concluded the conduct was due to "immaturity rather than spite".
Bodycam evidence reveals misconduct
Corr viewed the footage after filing a complaint and described officers behaving like "children in a playground". She said: "One of the male officers was at the bottom of the bed. He picked up a pair of knickers and he threw them to the other male officer."
"A young female officer got it down, put it on the bed, started pulling all the things out, saying: 'Oh, this is sticky! Oh, this is sticky!'" The officers were examining her £1,000 collection of adult products whilst making jokes.
"The male officer that threw the underwear was looking through my whole toy box, laughing, joking, going: 'Oh, look at this. Jesus Christ, look at this!'" Corr discovered a G-string from a lingerie set laid out on her pillow after the search.
Marriage breakdown follows trauma
Corr claims her marriage has crumbled in the aftermath and she is now pursuing divorce proceedings. She attributes the relationship breakdown to trauma from the episode, saying it "diminished" their intimate relationship.
"I have a psychologist and she said that I needed counselling because I've never used my toy box since," Corr explained. She was not present during the search but could hear "laughing and joking upstairs" during the raid.
Limited police accountability
All officers involved were described as young and still undergoing training, with one leaving the organisation before the complaint was received. The two remaining officers were required to undertake "Reflective Practice" sessions with their managers.
Suffolk Police rejected claims that officers physically handled the items, stating the underwear "appeared to be moved in jest, without any thought given for the upset this could cause". The force confirmed both officers and a Detective Inspector offered written and verbal apologies.
Corr expressed her loss of faith in police: "I don't trust the police anymore. I always used to say if you ever need the police, they'll be there for you. But no, not in this day and age." No arrests or charges resulted from the drugs investigation.
Sources used: "Daily Star", "Mirror", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
