Man to sue after police blunder leads to arrest and night in cell

Gordon Thrower, 63, was held in a cell for a night before he was transferred to Leeds Crown Court where the mix-up in identity became clear.

It turned out the 1988 arrest warrant was for a Gordon Robert Thrower wanted for tax evasion, who has the same date of birth as his namesake but a different middle name.

Mr Thrower, from Bilton near Hull, was released last week after Judge Kerry Macgill said photographic evidence suggested he was the wrong person, but ordered further checks.

Yesterday the court was told by David Dixon, prosecuting, it appeared the correct details had not been put on the police computer in 1988, adding: "We are now quite certain that he is the wrong man and we offer our apologies."

Mr Thrower, from Bilton, near Hull, said: "Two policemen came round and said they had a warrant for my arrest. I said: 'What for?' and they said it was for evasion of income tax from 1988.

"I said: 'You are joking." He said: 'Are you Gordon Thrower" and I said yes."

He spent the night in the cells and the next morning was taken to Leeds where he was asked in court if he was Gordon Robert Thrower. "I

said: 'No I'm Gordon Frederick Thrower'."

Humberside Police said the arrest was " based on information circulated to police forces about a wanted man".

Last month, the force apologised after a 15-year-old Hull boy was wrongly arrested.