A woman says she was left anxious and degraded after being put into police cells for a day because she left black bags next to her bins eight years ago. Model Heather Underwood was arrested at 9.50am on Thursday when police turned up to her door with a warrant.
Heather, 32, was taken to a police custody suite, where she was told that the warrant was from 2014 and related to when she allegedly left a number of black bin bags next to her rubbish bins. Heather was taken from the custody suite to court where she was kept locked in a cell, only to be told at 2.30pm that the case had been discontinued, reports StokeonTrentLive.
She says she had just moved into the property in 2014 and the previous tenants had filled the bins, leaving her with no choice but to put her rubbish into black bin bags and put them next to her bins on bin day. She says she remembers receiving a letter the next day from Stoke-on-Trent City Council explaining that the bags had been ripped open overnight and they had cleaned it up.
She says this was the last correspondence she had ever received on the matter until the policeman appeared at her door. Heather - says she missed out on a day's pay of around £200 as a result of the arrest. She makes money on OnlyFans as xHeather30x.
Heather said: "I got up in the morning and I was just about to have a bath when I got a knock at the door. It was a police officer and he asked me if I knew that I was wanted.
"I said I'd got no idea at all. He said he'd got a warrant for my arrest. I was shaking, I had no idea what he was talking about.
"I got taken into custody and I had my shoes taken off me, my phone taken off me, I was searched, and put in a cell. The most degrading part of it was when I had to use the bathroom and the toilet just had a glass window, I didn't even have any privacy when I went to the bathroom.
"I was told that the warrant was from 2014 and the charge was fly-tipping. But it wasn't fly-tipping, I'd left the bin bags next to my bins as I couldn't fit any of my rubbish in as it was already full from the previous tenants.
"Then I was taken to the magistrates' court in Newcastle, announced as a prisoner, and taken to the cells. I was allowed one phone call at the police station and I called my mum and she came to the court.
"I was just trying to comply and get it sorted. It got completely thrown out. They came to my cell and told me to just go home at about 2.30pm.
"I had spent time in the cells, being treated like a criminal. I was nervous and anxious, and then in the afternoon they just let me go. It was a big waste of time and money."
Heather says the incident was 'embarrassing' and has left her 'shaken up'. She says she is astounded that the police would arrest her over bin bags from eight years ago.
She added: "It's just so embarrassing being paraded down my street and into a police car. It was mortifying, I've never been in trouble with the police, I was terrified. I was really shaken up.
"It's just wild. A couple of weeks ago there was a 12-year-old walking with a machete... I called the police, but no-one came.
"But they locked me up for some bin bags from eight years ago. I can't believe they are wasting taxpayers' money on something so ridiculous. There's a shortage of police and that's what they're wasting their time on. I've had no apology or explanation for putting me through that.
"I'm on the electoral roll, I pay my council tax, why couldn't they find me until now? I'm just gobsmacked about what's happened."
Single-mum Heather relies on the money she makes from her modelling. She said: "To lose a day's work is a lot of money. It has cost me.
"I'd planned to make some content, such as pictures and video, and it would have made anything from £100 to £200. If I'd had time I would have done some webcamming and that's another £100."
The court has confirmed that the fly-tipping allegation and the alleged breach of bail were both discontinued.
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "Officers attended an address in Knutton on Thursday, June 30 to execute an arrest warrant. A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of failure to answer to court/police bail. She appeared before magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on the same day."
StokeonTrentLive has contacted Stoke-on-Trent City Council for a statement.
