By Stefan Morkis

AN 80-YEAR-OLD Dundee woman who locked herself out of her flat had to pay the police £261 coming to her rescue—by driving five minutes across town to collect a spare set of keys.

Margaret Andrews of Moncur Crescent had gone out shopping on Strathmartine Road and was on her way home when she discovered her keys were missing.

When a community nurse arrived for a scheduled visit she told Mrs Andrews to call police and two officers were sent round to help.

They drove to Mrs Andrews’ son’s house at the bottom of Albert Street—a five-minute trip from Moncur Crescent—to collect another set of keys.

They were soon able to let Mrs Andrews back into her home but her ordeal was not over.

Instead, a few days later she received a three-figure bill from the Tayside force for their assistance.

“I lost my keys and found I’d locked myself out when I came back from shopping,” she said.

“The nurse came and said to me I should phone the police.

“Two bobbies came around and they went to my son’s at the bottom of Albert Street to collect spare keys.

“I then got a bill for £261.

“I didn’t want to worry about it so I’ve already paid it at the post office.

“One of the bobbies said to me that I would get a bill, which I knew, but I didn’t think it would be that much.”

Ian Paterson, who runs the Strathmartine Road shop Mrs Andrews had visited the day she locked herself out, was appalled at the bill given to one of his customers.

“What I don’t understand is why people have to pay police to do things like this.

“If I had an accident in a car they wouldn’t send me a bill.”

The police were asked on Friday to comment but have yet to respond.