Crichlow's house this week in "hot pursuit'' of a man involved in a "big'' drug operation.

But no member of the Crichlow family or their house was a target of the officers' Tuesday morning chase, Commissioner of Police Mr. Lennett (Lenny) Edwards said yesterday.

He added the man they were after was found that morning near Mr. Crichlow's house and will appear in court soon.

Although Mr. Crichlow has accepted the officers were acting in the course of duty, his son remains upset by the incident.

"They just came in like it was their house,'' said Mr. Craig Crichlow, 20.

Mr. Edwards said: "The operation was taking place in the immediate vicinity of the Crichlow residence (in Spanish Point).

"The Police came into the house as a result of a young man fleeing from the scene on a motorbike. As a result of what they observed they had reason to knock on the door of the Crichlow residence.'' But Mr. Crichlow's son denied the officers knocked on his door or asked if they could come in.

He said he was on his lunch hour at and had been about to eat when a man appeared at his door.

Believing he was the meter man, he went to the door but was confronted by six men in plain clothes who ran into the house without knocking or asking.

"I just backed off,'' he said. "I did not know what was happening. Some of them questioned me and the others went through the rest of the house.

"They said in a typical Police manner that they were in hot pursuit of someone with a bike like mine.'' Mr. Crichlow said the officers had no search warrant. "I didn't know they were the Police until I saw they had handcuffs,'' he said, adding he was "shaken'' by the incident.

Mr. Edwards said a bike in Mr. Crichlow's front yard was a "key factor'' in the search.

He admitted they did not have a search warrant, but said they did hold one for the house of the young man they had been searching for.

He said he had personally spoken to Mr. Clevelyn Crichlow to explain the officers' actions.

Mr. Clevelyn Crichlow said, "I got a response from the Police the same day. I want to make it clear that in spite of the error my support of the Police and their efforts in combating the crime has not diminished.''