A mother has received £3,500 in compensation after “disgusting” police officers were caught on bodycam throwing her lingerie around and laughing at her extensive collection of sex toys during a raid on her Essex home.
Nichola Corr, 51, said the Suffolk Police officers behaved like “children in a playground” as they searched her property in October 2023 as part of a drugs investigation into a family member that ultimately led to no arrests, charges or prosecutions.
Bodycam footage obtained through her complaint revealed officers discovering her £1,000 collection of intimate items and tossing her G-string underwear at each other whilst standing around her bed.
The male officer that threw the underwear was looking through my whole toy box, laughing, joking, going: ‘Oh, look at this. Jesus Christ, look at this!'” Nichola told reporters. “They were taking the absolute piss! It was like they were children in a playground the way they were acting. It was disgusting.”
The north Essex resident, who is now pursuing a divorce from her husband which she partly attributes to trauma from the incident, only discovered the full extent of the officers’ behaviour after requesting bodycam footage as part of her formal complaint.
“During the raid, we could hear laughing and joking upstairs,” she recalled, describing how she knew something was amiss. “I know there’s no way if you throw a G-string, it’s going to land perfectly on a pillow. It’s like a sick person robbing you and giving a mark to say they were there. So I made a complaint.”
Suffolk Police’s Professional Standards Department found the officers’ behaviour was “unacceptable and unprofessional” following an investigation, but determined that formal disciplinary action was not required.
In a statement, the force claimed the officers were all “very young in terms of service” and their behaviour was “considered to be more due to immaturity than spite.” A spokesperson added: “A box containing sex toys was found, which was subject to comment and laughter from the officers, but at no point do they touch or play with the items. The underwear appeared to be moved in jest, without any thought given for the upset this could cause to the owner.”
One officer had already left the force when the complaint was received, whilst the remaining two were required to apologise to Mrs Corr and undertake ‘Reflective Practice’ training.
The footage reportedly also shows an older officer telling colleagues to turn off their bodycam recording, raising further questions about supervision during the search.
Mrs Corr said the incident has fundamentally damaged her trust in policing. I don’t trust the police anymore,” she stated. I always used to say if you ever need the police, they’ll be there for you. But no, not in this day and age. They’re using their power over people.”
The compensation payout comes amid heightened scrutiny of police conduct, particularly regarding searches of private homes. Just last week, former Hertfordshire Police officer Marcin Zielinski, 27, was jailed for four months after stealing a woman’s underwear whilst conducting a search of her home.
Zielinski, from Shefford, Bedfordshire, admitted theft and corrupt exercise of police powers after CCTV captured him pocketing pink underwear from a drawer during a Section 32 search in September 2024. The woman whose home was searched had been arrested in connection with an unrelated matter and was later released without charge.
He resigned from Hertfordshire Police whilst under investigation and was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on 18 August. Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer condemned his actions, stating: “Zielinski has let down the public of Hertfordshire, the police service as a whole and his former colleagues, who act with professionalism and integrity. His criminal behaviour damages the reputation of policing and represents a fundamental betrayal of the public.
The cases highlight ongoing concerns about professional standards and appropriate conduct during police searches, particularly in private homes where officers may encounter intimate personal items.
Mrs Corr’s case serves as a stark reminder that whilst officers are granted significant powers to enter and search properties, these powers must be exercised with respect for residents’ dignity and privacy. The £3,500 settlement, whilst providing some acknowledgement of wrongdoing, has done little to restore her faith in the institution meant to protect and serve.
They were using their power over people,” she concluded, reflecting on an experience that has left lasting damage to both her personal life and her trust in law enforcement.
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