Cap 'theft' sparked £20,000 inquiry

It is an unexceptional navy blue hat. Not valuable - and certainly not stylish.

But the peaked cap in question sparked an eight-week ordeal for a 24-year-old woman who was accused of stealing the head gear, suspended from her job and dragged into court four times - before the case against her was thrown out.

And the cost to the taxpayer of investigating the case of the missing cap - part of the London Underground staff uniform? About £20,000.

The saga began on 27 August. Alex Wood, a station assistant at Waterloo Station, was going about her business when suddenly a team of British Transport Police officers marched up to her. She was, they informed her, under suspicion of having stolen her hat and her shirt. She was arrested then taken to her locker where the hat was found.

Bobby Law, London regional secretary of the RMT, largest of the Tube unions, said: "She was bodysearched in front of her male manager, and threatened with handcuffing by the officers who frogmarched her through the station, searched her locker and found the hat.

"She then spent several hours at a BTP station where she was denied the right to make a call for two hours, fingerprinted, photographed and had a DNA sample taken.

"Told that she was suspected of trying to sell the hat on eBay, she was charged with theft and bailed." Ms Wood, who has always protested her innocence, was then ordered to appear twice at magistrates court and a pre-trial hearing. Finally, at a fourth court appearance at Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court on 1 October, the charges were thrown out.

Mr Law said: "Finding an LU hat in the locker of an LU employee at an LU station is a stunning piece of police work but this has been an ordeal for our member.

"To see such a colossal waste of police time and taxpayers' money when violent assaults on the Tube are up by around a quarter speaks volumes for the BTP's priorities."

Ms Wood, from Brixton, denies she tried to sell the hat and shirt on eBay. She today refused to comment. London Underground staff are forbidden to talk to the press.

A spokesman for BTP said: "We take this issue very seriously as items of uniform can be of assistance to terrorists and other criminals. We would be failing in our duty if we had not followed this up immediately. The member of staff was treated correctly and in line with normal procedures.

"There was enough evidence to pass the Crown Prosecution Service's threshold test and she was charged later that day.

"The court dismissed the charges because there was no confirmation from eBay available at that time that the items had been on their website.

"Print outs from the site were considered insufficient and the court was not prepared to adjourn the case again."

Ms Wood is now considering legal action against the BTP.

A London Underground spokesman confirmed: " The employee was suspended on full pay." Ms Wood is now back at work.