A COUPLE have told of their anger after police smashed down their door in a dawn drugs raid – by mistake.

Officers forced their way into Kayleigh Hill and Anthony McVey’s home while they slept, on the hunt for a suspect who had moved out months ago.

After realising their error, police returned later in the day to say sorry – and handed over one bottle of beer and a bunch of flowers to apologise.

Kayleigh and Anthony, a former soldier with the Royal Engineers, were woken by loud banging outside their flat early on Monday morning.

When 23-year-old Anthony went to investigate he found himself confronted by police officers in his lounge who were demanding he get to the floor with his hands above his head.

They had broken down the door, sending glass shattering over the floor.

Daily Echo: Click below to see a video of today's headlines in sixty seconds

The couple’s two young children – two-year-old Kyle and sixmonth- old Kiara – were at home.

Anthony said: “There were loads of police. They were shouting at me ‘stand back sir, put your hands behind your head, get on the floor, do not move’.

“I was naked at the time and so I said I was just going to put my boxers on and they ran after me and held me against a wall. I was shaking, wondering what they thought I had done.

“They asked me my name and when I told them who I was they all just looked at each other and obviously realised they had the wrong place.

“They searched our home anyway but they found out the people they were actually looking for had left last November.”

Kayleigh, 19, who is on medication for anxiety problems, added: “I woke up to this loud banging and shouting and started to panic. My little boy was screaming his head off – it was really scary. Now I’m just really mad at them for frightening us the way they did when in fact they just got it wrong.”

The family were visited later in the day by people who had been sent to clear up the mess, including the glass that had broken over their children’s shoes and clothes. Police officers also attended the property in North Road, Dibden Purlieu, to hand over flowers to Kayleigh, a bottle of beer to Anthony and chocolate Easter eggs for the children.

Kayleigh said: “They just said they were really sorry, that we were good people. I thought the flowers were all right, but it isn’t going to get my front door fixed any quicker. As for the beer – Anthony just thought it was funny because he doesn’t drink anyway.”

A spokesman for Hampshire police said the force had apologised to the family for targeting their home by mistake and the matter was under investigation.