A father was arrested for assault and questioned for three hours after spraying his next door neighbour with a garden hose while he washed his car.

Financial advisor Bob Cornwall had his fingerprints taken and was forced to give a DNA sample after he was apprehended by officers in Shoreham.

Mr Cornwall had been washing his car with his five-year-old son Reece when he was confronted by his angry next-door neighbour John Tait, 67.

The neighbour was cross that Mr Cornwall had pruned back some branches on one of his trees and dumped the branches in his garden in The Avenue, Shoreham-by-Sea.

"He was angry, red-faced and shouting," said Mr Cornwall. "He wasn't happy about me putting his branches back in his garden. I had the garden hose in my hand, so without really thinking about it, I sprayed him with water."

Mr Cornwall described how the neighbour began to shout at him again so Mr Cornwall squirted him again. He then disappeared into his own house and Mr Cornwall assumed that would be the end of it.

But within minutes police knocked on his door.

"Two officers turned up at my door and asked me to make an appointment for what I thought was just going to be a chat," Mr Cornwall explained.

"But I was completely taken aback when I turned up at Shoreham police station the next day only to be packed into a police car and taken to Worthing police station for questioning. I couldn't believe what was happening."

When he was taken to Worthing police station the following day, Mr Cornwall was shocked at how he was treated. "Everything was incredibly formal, very stiff and serious, even though they knew all I'd done is squirted a bit of water about," he said. "I had to give a DNA sample and have fingerprints taken. They took a photo and I had to give a tape-recorded statement as well. It took hours."

Mr Cornwall said a police officer tried to get him to agree he had committed common assault. "I couldn't quite work out what I was supposed to have done," said Mr Cornwall. "But by this time I was in shock about the whole thing. All I could think was 'this is completely ridiculous' so I thought it would be easiest if I just admitted to assault."

After admitting assault, Mr Cornwall was given an official caution. He was not charged with anything and was finally allowed to go home.

"The whole thing was a complete waste of time for everyone involved," Mr Cornwall said. "The police who dealt with me obviously didn't think I had done anything too bad.

"They couldn't have thought I was a threat, because a policewoman gave me a lift home and we stopped off so I could pick up some milk. It was an amazing contrast to my journey there, we were laughing and joking."

Mr Tait said Mr Cornwall was "nasty and aggressive" and had experienced trouble with him in the past.

He said: "This was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The retired insurance worker added: "The hosing was deliberate and persistent and done at me. I was soaked. It was also aimed at my wife and wet her feet and the inside of our hallway.

"The problem was that this chap did not like being arrested. We have tried to get on with him but he does not want to get on with us.

"We have lived here for 22 years and never had any trouble with anyone else.

"I can't believe it has come to this."

A spokesman for Sussex police confirmed that an arrest was made for a common assault in Shoreham on February 23. A spokesman said: "Anyone arrested for a recordable offence is fingerprinted and has their DNA. Sussex Police takes all offences seriously and will act to ensure that such incidents do not escalate into anything more serious."

Mr Cornwall said that he had avoided his neighbour since the incident. "I haven't spoken to him," said Mr Cornwall. "I think that's the best plan."