BUNGLING police officers on an emergency call smashed through a front door in the wrong street.

When they realised their mistake they left a sheepish apology inside - and then had the property boarded up, which meant the occupants could not read it.

Shocked Alan Allison, who had been at a dinner party, arrived back to the mess at his house in Kemp Town, Brighton, in the small hours of the morning and thought he had been burgled.

He rang his partner Michael Harwood, who cut short a business trip in Italy to fly straight home.

Meanwhile Mr Allison, 41, rang the police, only to be told they had mistaken his home in Charles Street for the scene of an attempted suicide in nearby Broad Street.

The couple said they were made to feel as if they were in the wrong since the incident on Wednesday night.

Mr Harwood, 37, a freelance chef, said: "When we found out it was the police making a mistake, I was relieved we hadn't been burgled. But once that faded I was incredibly angry.

"I expected to see a police officer on my doorstep saying I'm responsible for this and I would like to apologise.

"The worst thing is they haven't told us what has happened to the person who was reportedly attempting suicide."

The police left a note inside the house outlining what had happened but it could not be seen because the chipboard covering the door was screwed to the frame.

Mr Allison had to stay with friends and only got back into his home when workmen offered to unscrew the wood the following morning.

Mr Harwood said that the police had been dismissive and that he only received an off-hand apology when he pointed out he had yet to receive one.

He said: "If a crime is committed against you, a community liaison officer is issued to you but, because it's the police who have effectively committed this crime, we have been sidelined.

"Our house has been broken into. Just because it's a police officer doesn't change the fact that our nice front door is completely useless. It looks like it's been done by a battering ram."

A custom-built replacement will have to be made for the unusually-sized 200-year-old door.

Chief Inspector Steve Barry said attempts to support and reassure the pair should have been made and apologised.

He said: "In a situation like this I can understand why officers would go through a door and why mistakes might happen. What's not acceptable is we didn't give the residents the support afterwards and I will make sure this is remedied immediately."