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A Bidford-on-Avon homeowner has accused Warwickshire Police of failing to investigate when a shot hit his house in August 2025, the BBC reported on Wednesday 11 November. The force has confirmed to the BBC that no officer visited the property. A suspect was later found only after the homeowner tracked down who had been shooting on land behind his house himself.
What the police say
In a statement to the BBC, Warwickshire Police said it investigated a report of criminal damage on 4 August 2025, after a stray pellet damaged the outer pane of a ground-floor window and was trapped between the two panes of glass. It closed the case on 7 August because there was no evidence and no leads to follow. It reopened it when the homeowner’s complaint brought new evidence, including the identity of a suspect, which the force says wasn’t in the original report.
The suspect has been offered a community resolution: they must not shoot on the land behind the house, and must pay £500 for the window. Police say both sides have agreed it and it is waiting for the homeowner’s signature. A community resolution deals with a less serious offence without going to court.
What the homeowner says
His account differs from the force’s in two places. He told the BBC it was a live rifle round, where police call it a pellet, and he says he was emailed that the case was closed about an hour after he reported it, where the force gives the closing date as 7 August. He says the suspect admitted it and lost their firearms licence; the force’s statement doesn’t mention the licence.
He complained to the force’s Professional Standards team about the first response. That complaint ended in October 2026 with a finding that the service was acceptable. He told the BBC he can’t square that with the case being reopened and solved on the evidence he found.
The person who fired the shot hasn’t been named. For crime figures in the area, see our latest Stratford crime figures.
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Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
