Neighbour falsely reported me to the police

[Galaxy1989]

Hi all

So I have had issues with my neighbour for a few years.
She has made four false reports to social services four times since September 2023. We know it's her because of things that were said that made it obvious but not obvious enough that it was proof for the police if that makes sense.
We did report to the police the last three times it happened and they logged it but couldn't do anything due to proof.
Luckily social services knew it was all rubbish.

This lady has told so many lies in the past and blamed people for things. She would cause trouble with some other neighbours too but they've now moved.

Anyway a few weeks ago a police officer came round and said she had accused me of sending her threatening letters and funeral plans! I denied this completely because it's not true! But I was honest about how I felt about her because of the trouble she has caused in the past and I said to him I think she's making it up/doing it to herself to cause trouble.
I completely forgot all about it after a few days until this week when two police officers turned up to arrest me!
They didn't luckily because I had an urgent medical appointment but I had to go down to the police station the next day to have an interview under caution.
She recently got another letter and the letter basically is as if it's me that wrote it!
They're investigating but I'm honestly in shock. How can they believe this for a second??
The police officer said an email address was given for the funeral plans in her name so they're going to try and find out whose ip address links to it.
Is there not more they can do??
This is putting so much stress on my health, I'm having chest pains, panic attacks, etc.
I know I havent done anything but it's still awful to be accused and have this pressure and wonder god knows what she will do next!!

How can they attempt to arrest someone when they have zero proof? As if I would write a letter basically admitting it was me if I was writing hate mail!!!

And gone

Only some printers do this (notably, colour laser printers). Most inkjets (which is what most people have at home), don’t.

There are other, forensic, techniques for matching (or eliminating) printers to their output, but they’re less certain and more difficult and expensive.

How is it unfair? Would you not want them to investigate if someone committed an offense against you?

You were only questioned, not charged.

I wouldn't answer any questions in a formal police interview without a solicitor though. Not because I don't trust the police, but because they don't know the story and I couldn't be certain I'm not incriminating myself with a silly comment.

I don't think it's fair to be angry with the police, they are being used to harass you under false pretenses. I'm sure there are cases where they have overstepped but so far they have only spoken to you.

You know that the neighbour has had issues with previous resident. Did you tell the police this? Are there others who have had similar problems you could speak to or direct the police to speak to? Could the wording of the letter be any neighbour or just you? There is the outside possibility that's it's genuinely one of the other neighbours who has had enough of her?

Could installing a carefully placed camera help? I assume that the letter was hand delivered and if any new letters get there, it could be helpful to be able to prove do didn't go to the door?

I know it's incredibly worrying but you just need to let the police look at the IP address. They are not going to look at DNA or anything expensive and complex. No one has been murdered.

A relative of mine was arrested based on what one person 'said' had happened . They charged him and he felt compelled to take a plea as the case impacted his kids. I don't trust the police at all now . Make sure you take a duty solicitor in with you.

Not quite. It's anyone the constable has reasonable grounds for suspecting has committed an offence.

Nope. You can report a crime any time you want.

i was on the thread originally op

what happened?

Something similar happened to my husband, we have a very nasty malicious neighbour too. My husband was arrested in handcuffs for theft of an A4 paper sign placed on a bank of land between our houses. As others have said, get a solicitor, and if you can afford to, not just the duty solicitor. It was extremely stressful to the extent that my previously resilient husband had a complete nervous breakdown. It was in the end not taken any further as "not in the public interest", after 5 years of harassment including weaponising the police and other authorities we made a civil claim for harrassment and abuse and now they are church mice.