Boy, 12, handcuffed and searched after 'innocently playing with abandoned road sign'
The boy's mother says that her "worst fear has come true' following the incident
Boy, 12, handcuffed and searched after ‘innocently playing with abandoned road sign’
The boy’s mother has now made a complaint against Kent Police as she says the use of handcuffs was not justified
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
MAY 27, 2026
A mother says she was left feeling “heartbroken” when her 12-year-old son told her he had been handcuffed by police after “innocently playing with an abandoned stop sign.”
Hilary Ibhagbemien says her child who is in Year 7 came across a stop sign lying with other material on the side of the road while out with his friend which they began playing with during the day at a park in Buckhurst Lane, Sevenoaks, on May 25, 2026.
The kids then left the object on the ground but soon after, they were approached by two Kent Police officers who handcuffed them before conducting a stop and search on ‘suspicion of theft of a road sign’ and for ‘weapons used to remove it’, the mother says.
Before leaving the officers who did not find any weapons on the boys, Hilary says her young son who had complied with police then called her sounding “distressed and shaken.”
Now, following the incident, the mum has made a complaint against Kent Police stating that the response from the officers was “disproportionate” and furthermore, “excessive force” was used by handcuffing the preteenager who was ‘not violent and had not attempted to flee.’
Speaking exclusively to the Community Reporter, Hilary says that her only son who usually enjoys playing outside has avoided going outdoors since the incident.
She added that the ordeal left her feeling “distressed” and that at just 12-years-old, her child has now ‘already had a negative experience with police.’
Hilary said: “I was heartbroken. I just felt so distressed by the phone call [from my son]. I felt anxious because I didn’t know how my child was feeling.
“I was shocked. I didn’t have the words. I just didn’t understand. Me, and his dad.
“He sounded very, very shaken up, and said to me, ‘Mum, I don’t want you to panic, but something has happened. An incident has happened and I’m with the police at the minute.’”
Hilary says she told her son to give the phone to the officer whom she then asked what the grounds were for searching him.
She says that the officer mentioned there had been a ‘theft of a road sign’ and said that it was appropriate to stop and search him ‘to see if he was concealing any weapons that were used to remove the road sign.’
But Hilary says that police did not mention handcuffing her child which she found “alarming” stating that her “worst fear” as a Black parent had been realised.
The mum said: “It’s my worst fear. Literally, my worst fear has come true where I did fear for the day that my child would be stop and searched. I just did not think it would happen to him so soon at such a vulnerable age of 12.
“It’s infuriating. It’s very alarming and it’s scary because if you can do that to a child, what else can you do? Especially knowing that handcuffing can only be used, when necessary, reasonable, and proportionate.
“My son said that he didn’t understand why the officer was putting handcuffs on him. And he kept on reiterating that they were playing innocently, and that he was just trying to make people smile and being friendly.
“He wasn’t violent, attempting to flee or posing any threat that would justify the use of force. And I just think that the officer’s actions were just unlawful, disproportionate and doesn’t support Kent Police’s own policies on child centred policing and safeguarding.
“I am honestly really appalled and really disappointed by the conduct used. If you can’t trust the police to look after your child’s best interest, then where do we go from here?”
Hilary says that as a result of the incident, her son was unnecessarily made to feel ‘fearful.’
She said: “They put fear into him for no reason.
“He’s such a chilled boy. Everyone who knows my child speaks about his composure, speaks about how happy of a child he is, speaks about how lovely he is to be around.
“It’s hard to imagine the officer even putting handcuffs on my child. I don’t even want to see it.”
The mum who is currently studying law believes that if her child was white, police would have given him a “warning” rather than “criminalising” and “adultifying” him.
She added that her son told her that two Black boys he did not know who were in the park were also stopped and searched even though they were not near the stop sign.
Hilary said: “I honestly feel like he would have been [treated differently] if it was a group of white boys playing with a stop sign. It would have just been a warning or being told, ‘put the stop sign back. You shouldn’t be playing with that.’
“That would have been over and done with. I just don’t understand why she escalated into the level of handcuffing my child and stopping and searching him.”
Hilary says that when she asked for the officer’s name and badge number, they were “combative” but eventually gave a first name and badge details.
The mum says that the officer who also took down her email address said they would send a record of the stop ‘immediately’ however, she says she has yet to receive it days later.
She added that her son was not given a record of the search even though this is police protocol and she is calling for CCTV and bodycam footage to be released.
Kent Police say they called the children’s parent and guardians, but Hilary says she did not receive a call from police and that it was her son who called her.
Furthermore, police added they stopped a group of five young people, however, the boy’s mum says her son was only with one friend and that they did not know the two Black boys who were stopped.
The Community Reporter asked Kent Police why the child was not given a record of the search. We also asked why all the children stopped in the park were treated as a group when they did not know each other.
Furthermore, we asked if any disciplinary action will be taken following the incident.
However, Kent Police has yet to respond directly to our questions.
A spokesperson for Kent Police told us: “Officers responding to reports a road sign had been stolen from Dartford Road, Sevenoaks on 25 May 2026 conducted a number of enquiries, including reviewing CCTV, which showed a group of young people with the sign shortly after it was taken.
“A group of five young people were subsequently stopped in a park in Buckhurst Lane and searched. The sign was recovered from the group and their parents and guardians were called by officers to explain stop and search procedures had been carried out.
“Afterwards, the group were given words of advice and were allowed to move on.
“A formal complaint has been made regarding the stop and search of one of the young boys in the group and until it has been completed, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment on that individual case.”
Instilling unnecessary fear when they could have given him a simple warning.