AN elderly widow is petrified of being arrested after receiving court demands for a fine accrued by a stranger.

Nora Hutchinson, 73, has received five letters from Her Majesty's Court Service addressed to Thomas Crayke.

The latest, pushed through her door on Wednesday, threatened police officers would come to the house to arrest Mr Crayke if he did not appear at York Magistrates Court on September 29.

Mrs Hutchinson, of Dringhouses, York, said she had repeatedly told court staff she had never heard of Mr Crayke, and was assured it was the end of the matter.

But she was in tears after getting another letter which read: "If you fail to respond to this letter you will be subject to arrest. This may happen at any time day or night without further warning."

Mrs Hutchinson said: "I have been going to bed thinking what if they come and bang me up in the middle of the night?

"I know it's not addressed to me but I live on my own and I've been frightened they might come on a night and take me away.

"I know they say I won't receive any more letters but they've told me that so many times before. How do I know they won't send me any more?"

Mrs Hutchinson's daughter-in-law, Sally, phoned the court office in Northallerton to ask for a letter stating Mrs Hutchinson had nothing to do with the fine.

Sally, who is chief officer at Age Concern York, said "It's really quite alarming.

"I asked them to send her a letter to put her mind at rest and eventually, after some reluctance, they agreed to do it. I think it's shocking that they're hounding her when they'd already said they wouldn't hound her.

"She's a lovely down-to-earth lady and this has terrified her."

Sally said although she accepted mistakes occasionally happened, she was sure the court service could have checked Mr Crayke's name against the electoral roll.

"Nora has us to turn to, but what if it had been an elderly person without anybody to turn to?" she said.

"They could have checked the details before sending her a threatening letter."

Paul Bradley, area director for HM Court Services in North Yorkshire, said he could not discuss individual cases.

"If Mrs Hutchinson wants to contact either myself or the court in Northallerton to formally complain about the treatment she says she has received then it will be investigated seriously."

He said: "As I understand it the letters have been addressed to somebody else so if she is not the person who incurred the fine then she should not be arrested."

Updated: 10:20 Saturday, September 24, 2005