A mother has launched a formal complaint against Police after an officer allegedly bruised her runaway son.

The foster child recently ran away from a group home to his mother and the Police were trying to take him back.

Tanya Hodgson said her eight-year-old son ran away from the Sunshine League, on King Street, Pembroke.

Mrs. Hodgson said she returned home to find the child at her house with her husband.

The mother, who has an older daughter in foster care, said she notified the Sunshine League that her son had run away and showed up at her home.

Mrs. Hodgson said someone from the Sunshine League called her late at night to say they were coming to pick the boy up. But no one came to pick up the boy until Tuesday.

Mrs. Hodgson said a social worker from Social Services eventually visited her home, but her son refused to speak or go with him.

Mrs. Hodgson said she will be going to court on July 14 in a bid to get her son back. After the failed attempt by the social worker, Mrs. Hodgson said Police stopped by and told her she had to return her son.

"That morning I had him dressed and ready to go back,'' she said. "I never stopped him from going.

"I'm in the process of getting my car done for TCD so I have no transportation.'' The mother said her son refused to go with the officers so she called the Coalition for the Protection of Children.

She said while she was on the telephone with the Coalition, the Police came into the house. "They didn't have a warrant to come in. I told them they couldn't come in.

"The officer had his arm around his neck and my son was screaming, he couldn't breathe,'' she recalled. "He was endangering my son's life, he has asthma.'' Mrs. Hodgson said her son awoke yesterday morning with bruises on his legs from where the officer was pulling on his legs. Yesterday, Police spokesperson Evelyn James Barnett said she was unable to comment since Mrs. Hodgson lodged an official complaint and an investigation was underway.