Police say sorry after smashing their way into Tracey's home.

A YORK woman was left fuming after a catalogue of police mistakes ended with her council flat door being smashed open during a botched raid.

Embarrassed officers today apologised to Tang Hall resident Tracey Watkinson after:

Searching her apartment, despite the fact she told them the man they were hunting lived in another flat in the block

Knocking on her door an hour later to ask if she knew where the suspect's father was. Again she told them they had the wrong address

Coming back a week later, when a team of four officers returned in a morning swoop and used a steel battering ram to smash open her door.

To add insult to injury, on the last occasion it was Tracey who had let the police team into Drake House's main entrance on her way to work.

She returned home last night to find her front door smashed and her locks changed. She could not get back into her home until police handed over her new keys later in the evening.

York Police have apologised for the blunders and sent furious Tracey a bouquet of flowers to make amends. She is now due a visit from a senior officer to explain how the mix-ups occurred.

The 38-year-old said: "I broke down in tears when I saw the door. I was absolutely livid."

Tracey, who is manager of the delicatessen section at the Costcutter supermarket, at Dunnington, said she found it hard to believe police could get the wrong address three times.

Recalling the raid, which happened at 7.20am yesterday, she said: "As I was leaving, four police were at the door asking to get in. I opened the door and thought nothing more of it.

"Then when I came home from work a man told me my door had been kicked in.

"I had to go to my mum's house in Heworth for a few hours until the police sent me the flowers and a new set of keys to get in."

Friend Sandra Bruce, 43, who also lives in the flat, said: "It's degrading. They made us feel like criminals yet we did nothing wrong."

As the Evening Press was at Tracey's flat last night, two police cars screeched up and half a dozen officers raided another flat in the block.

Detective Sergeant Chris Hogg visited Tracey's flat to apologise last night. He told the Evening Press: "Sometimes we get it wrong and we are sorry."

Police today confirmed they have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with four offences.

Updated: 10:02 Thursday, October 14, 2004