A woman who dialled 999 after witnessing a burglary at Borehamwood's Boulevard 25 this week criticised Hertfordshire police, who told her to wait at the scene but then did not arrive until 12 hours later.

As she left Gala Bingo at around 10.15pm on Saturday, Janice Wills, 53, from Borehamwood, heard crashing glass and saw a large hole in Iceland's window, and three male youths fleeing from the store with a box of lager, which they dropped before hanging around behind Burger King in Shenley Road.

Ms Wills said she dialled 999 on a mobile telephone, gave her name and was told to wait at the scene by police. But, despite waiting for an hour and asking her taxi to wait too, police never arrived and Ms Wills went home.

Iceland was broken into a second time that night, although nothing was stolen, and police officers arrived at the store at around 10.45am on Sunday.

Ms Wills said she has sympathy for the police because they are short of officers, but added: "I waited for an hour like an idiot.

"I think it is disgusting I report a crime and nothing is done. I am disheartened by it all."

Ms Wills had been expecting the police to arrive in under 15 minutes.

Iceland duty manager Ian Coe, who was called to the scene and continued to wait after Ms Wills had left, said: "We were a bit annoyed that the police did not turn up. They said they were too busy, so they sent someone round in the morning."

A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokeswoman said the call was classified as high-grade when it came in and officers aimed to arrive on the scene within an hour, but were unable to do so because it was an "extremely busy" night for the area. She said Ms Wills would have been asked to wait at the scene for a witness statement to be collected, but it would have been difficult for police to call her back to tell her they would be longer than anticipated.

The spokeswoman stressed all lines of inquiry were being followed, including CCTV footage. She added: "Unfortunately, on this occasion we could not meet demand. These incidents are few and far between."lmcvicars@london.newsquest.co.uk

June 26, 2002 15:30