🚨 A Leeds United fan has filed a complaint against West Yorkshire Police after her children were left by themselves at Elland Road while she was arrested over allegations later dismissed at court.

Sarah Widdowson was arrested and taken to Elland Road police station during the May 4 game against Southampton in 2024. The 47-year-old lifelong Leeds fan was accused of aiming racial abuse at a player and later also charged with swearing in public. Last month she was found not guilty of both charges at Leeds Magistrates. JJ joined in

She has now made an official complaint to West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate because her two sons were left in the ground while she was taken to the police station. Sarah says she informed arresting officers that her eldest son Jack, now 18, is autistic and was therefore not suitable to look after James who was four at the time.

“Just before half-time I returned to my seat with James, because obviously everyone’s coming down for a pint,” she told the YEP. “I was sat down and two police officers walked by, went into [section] FA4. I didn’t pay any attention to it because it was nothing to do with me. But the two of them came over to me and said that they would like a word. Everybody around me said, why? What for? And the female officer leant over and said ‘if you don’t come with us now we’re going to handcuff you in front of your children.’ I didn’t want that. I thought it’s not going to be anything major, because nothing has happened. So they told everybody around me and the kids that I’d be back in five minutes. I was walked in front of the stand up onto the ramp where the big television is. The male officer spoke to somebody else, a plain clothes guy and he said something like ‘you’re under arrest for racially aggravated public disorder.'”

Sarah says her first response was along the lines of ‘you’re joking’ but her thoughts quickly turned to her children.
“I told them my eldest has autism, he isn’t suitable to be responsible for my youngest,” she said. “I was told that they’d sort that. I was a little bit in shock, really. I was escorted out, searched in front of the mounted police section, who I’ve always gone over to. I’ve known all the horses over the years, and the sergeant was there. So that was really humiliating. They put me in the cell for near five hours. I kept asking about my kids. Nobody knew where my kids were. Then I was told some hours later that my kids were in reception, after I’d interviewed.”

Believing it could all be resolved quickly and easily and keen to get back to her children, Sarah interviewed without a solicitor. She asked police to speak to the three male stewards positioned directly in front of her and a Sky cameraman, all of whom would have heard if anything racist had been said. She claims a regular South Stand steward spoke to the cameraman, who confirmed he had heard nothing of that nature at any point.

Full story on Yorkshire Evening Post.

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