A PENSIONER feels his “privacy has been invaded unjustifiably” after police bashed down his door when he was on holiday over fears he was missing.

Retired Redbridge councillor Morris Hickey thought his bungalow in Long Green, Chigwell had been burgled when he returned from a five-week holiday on July 8 to see his front door boarded up.

But when he phoned the police to investigate further, he was “furious” to find out officers had forced their way into his home after a neighbour reported him missing.

The ex-Bridge councillor said: “I went on holiday to Austria for the first time in 1961 and have been back there and to Slovenia and Croatia pretty much every year since.

“When I first came back and saw the door I thought I’d been burgled, which I wasn’t too happy about.

“But when I rang the police they said a neighbour had told them I was a pensioner living alone who had not been seen for some time – so they decided to bash my door down.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous, I am very, very angry.”

Mr Hickey claims at least two of his neighbours knew he was on holiday and that officers did not carry out sufficient checks before they decided to break down the door.

He said: “When I thought it was a burglary, I thought I would just have to accept the situation.

“But now I know what actually happened, I feel my privacy has been invaded unnecessarily and unjustifiably.

“They don’t seem to have taken any time to find out where I actually was before they broke my door down in the middle of the night.

“I am so angry, now if saw the police in trouble in the street I wouldn’t lift a finger to help them.”

Mr Hickey has demanded to speak to the Redbridge borough commander about the incident and is worried it could happen to others in his position.

He added: “I will be consulting a solicitor to claim money for the damage and distress I have been caused.

“I feel sorry for other people like me this could happen to.

“In my experience even if you tell your neighbours you’re going away, it doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the police.

“Next time I will ring them up to tell them when I’m going on holiday!”

Redbridge Borough Police have been contacted for comment.