Ref. 29749-11MICHELLE Gillard and her four-year-old daughter arrived home from a dream holiday in Disneyland to find their front door had been kicked in by the police.

While the pair had been away, officers from Swindon's burglary squad forced their way into their Abbey Meads home to look for stolen goods.

The officers searched her belongings and found nothing suspicious but they maintain the search was lawful.

The police raided Miss Gillard's home after arresting her former partner, Andrew Dunn, on suspicion of burglary.

Dunn, 37, told officers he lived at the house but he moved out six months ago.

The 25-year-old mother criticised the police for not checking their facts. She said: "He lived with me for two months but he moved out in September to live with his sister in Penhill."

Dunn was electronically tagged after spending a year in prison for burglary in 2002, and the tagging unit was moved with him to his sister's.

The raid happened at 6pm on March 22, the day after Miss Gillard and her daughter Tanisha left for Paris. They found out about the raid on their return on March 24 when they found the front door boarded up.

Miss Gillard said: "Inside the house they had rifled through all my stuff, and they left rubbish in my front garden.

"I burst into tears. It felt like I had been burgled."

Since the incident Tanisha has been suffering nightmares and is staying with her grandmother in Penhill.

Miss Gillard said she had wanted to move on after separating from Dunn last year after seven-and-a-half years together.

Dunn is awaiting sentence after admitting burglary at Swindon Magistrates Court.

Det Sgt Ady Wys, who heads Swindon police's burglary squad, said he was sorry for any inconvenience. But he said officers left the property as they found it.

"I have reviewed the incident and am happy we acted lawfully," he said.

"The arrested person gave that address as his home address, which tallied with previous occasions he had been arrested.

"Section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act provides us with the power of entry to search for stolen property or evidence of burglary."

The police have advised Miss Gillard to file a written complaint if she wants to claim compensation.

Andy Tate