A police force has admitted the unlawful arrest of two parents who complained about their daughter’s primary school on WhatsApp.
Maxie Allen, 50, and his partner Rosalind Levine, 47, say they were detained by six uniformed officers and held at a police station for 11 hours.
Hertfordshire Police originally defended its decision to detain the couple but has now agreed a £20,000 payout, the Times reports.
The force admitted a legal criteria for arrest was “not made out” and formally accepted liability for wrongful arrest and detention.
Mr Allen, a Times Radio producer, said: “We’re very pleased Hertfordshire Constabulary have recognised, albeit belatedly, that our arrests were unlawful.
“I hope the debate around our case has a positive effect on how these issues are handled in future. The police should not be a tool for public authorities to close down legitimate comment and scrutiny.”
Two parents who were arrested after complaining about their daughter's school in WhatsApp messages have been awarded £20,000 in damages from police.
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 17, 2025
Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen - who spoke to this programme back in March - were held for hours at a police station after six… pic.twitter.com/bd8CqeKFe3
Mr Allen and Ms Levine had previously been banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, after questioning the recruitment process for a head teacher and criticising the leadership in a parents’ WhatsApp group.
The school said it had “sought advice from police” after a “high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts” that they claim had become upsetting for staff, parents and governors.
Police said they stand by the decision to investigate the parents, citing the volume of correspondence sent by Mr Allen and Mr Levine to their then nine-year-old daughter’s school.
They were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property.
After a five-week investigation, police concluded that there should be no further action.
The case led to a national debate about police overreach.
In April, Chief Constable Andy Prophet said the inspector who had approved the arrests did not believe Mr Allen and Ms Levine would consent to a voluntary interview and also needed to preserve electronic devices.
However, the force’s lawyers admitted under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the criteria for arrest were not made out “therefore rendering the arrest unlawful”.
The force agreed a payout of £10,000 each to Mr Allen and Ms Levine, 47, noting that the sum was “significantly above that required by the case law and reflects the constabulary’s desire to bring matters to a conclusion”.
A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said: “Whilst there are no issues of misconduct involving any officer in relation to this matter, Hertfordshire Constabulary has accepted liability solely on the basis that the legal test around necessity of arrest was not met in this instance.
“Therefore Mr Haddow-Allen and Ms Levine were wrongfully arrested and detained in January 2025. It would be inappropriate to make further comment at this stage.”
