Lorretta Cole spent five hours in police cell over childern's cricket ball

But the 47-year-old was shocked when she was arrested and held in a police cell for five hours.

Now she is waiting to find out whether she will be charged with theft and is amazed that the police have spent so much time and taxpayers’ money on such a trivial matter as a £3.99 cricket ball.

If charged and convicted, Mrs Cole could be handed a community order, fine or even be jailed for up to 18 weeks.

Fed up with children regularly coming into the front garden, Mrs Cole made a stand.

Arriving home in her car to find a neighbour’s three children playing cricket in the quiet cul-de-sac, she discovered their ball on the grass and kept it.

She claims it was the final straw after her car was damaged and on one occasion the ball came onto her property seven times in 30 minutes.

When the children’s father, Andrew Cocking, called round to ask for the ball back she would not hand it over. An hour later two police officers knocked on her door and told her if she did not give it back she could be arrested for theft.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Mrs Cole. “I asked the police if I give the ball back could I be given a reassurance that they speak to the parents.

I wasn’t given an assurance and it was left at that.”

Five days later officers returned and warned she would be arrested if she did not give them the ball.

Mrs Cole refused and was arrested.

She agreed to be interviewed at Lyndhurst police station two weeks later and was taken to a cell.

“I was kept in a room with other criminals and asked to remove all my jewellery and belt. I asked to see the duty solicitor and was then told I was having a photo taken along with fingerprints and a DNA swab,” she said. She was allowed home five and a half hours later.

Mrs Cole is now on bail while the Crown Prosecution Service decides whether she should be charged.

Her husband Roger said: “There’s a lot of serious crime going on out there, yet the police came here wasting time on a thing like this.

It’s ridiculous.”

Sgt Steve Wildridge said: “Mrs Cole was given the opportunity to return the ball a number of times and if this had happened no further action would have been taken.

However, she left the officers attending with no alternative choice but to take action.”

Andrew and Fiona Cocking, who live three doors away from the Coles in Baddesley Close, North Baddesley, last night refused to comment.

■ A MAN fed up wih cricket balls hitting his Isle of Wight home drove his car onto the village green – and parked it on the wicket. Neil Cutts, 38, snapped when a ball hit his home beside St Helens Village Green for the fifth time.