A woman who was forced to turn detective to investigate a crime has received an apology from Croydon's top police officer.

Chief Superintendent Mark Gore promised to reimburse the £10 which Anne Giles forked out to prove a car registration number she took down was correct. Anne, a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator from South Croydon, was threatened while out walking her dog in January.

She memorised the number plate of the car being driven by the suspect and gave it to police. But when she called the station weeks later to find out how police had progressed with her enquiry, she was told the investigation had come to standstill because the registration number had been taken down incorrectly.

Anne, a language tutor who lives in South Croydon, said: "I knew that wasn't right because the first officers who ran it through their system in their car told me it was registered to someone in the borough.

"At the time of it happening I was absolutely terrified but I managed to memorise the car registration and wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"When I didn't hear back from the police I called them, only to be told I must have taken down the number wrongly." At a meeting of the Croydon Community Police Consultative Group last Wednesday Anne spoke of her ordeal and said she was unhappy she was treated like "a confused woman". She also described how she paid £9.95 to use a website which locates details of the vehicle through its registration.

Anne added: "It was easy. This website gave me the same results as the initial police checks did at the time of the incident. It was apparent that, as the information was passed on to another officer at the station the registration had been taken down wrong.

"After I gave them the information from my own inquiries officers located the car and spoke to the owner. "I got the impression that because I am over 50 it was assumed I was confused and I was the one who made the mistake, not an inexperienced officer who is very young in service.

"However, as a victim, I couldn't fault the police. I received an enormous amount of support from them after the incident for which I am very grateful."

Police have since spoken to the owner of the car but no charges have been brought. At last Wednesday's meeting in the town hall Chief Superintendent Mark Gore told Anne she would be reimbursed the £9.95 and said: "You should not have had to pay when it's a free service."