Operation kickabout: Two policemen, a patrol car, the force helicopter and thermal imaging equipment... all to find boy who kicked his ball into a greenhouse

When schoolboy Tom Clarke accidentally kicked his football through a neighbour’s greenhouse, he might have expected a scolding.
But 30 minutes later a police patrol car, two officers and the force helicopter armed with thermal imaging cameras were on his trail, in scenes reminiscent of a Hollywood manhunt.
And when officers tracked down the 15-year-old, he was told the mishap had been recorded as criminal damage and could be revealed to future employers carrying out record checks.
His furious father insists the schoolboy has never been in trouble before and branded the police reaction ‘extremely heavy handed’.
But police – and the owner of the greenhouse – have not backed down and Tom fears the incident could derail his hopes of becoming a teacher.   Read more: