A Brighton couple are demanding answers after police smashed their way into their home in a bungled raid.

Three police officers joined Inland Revenue representatives to break into the home of Joyce and Raymond Boyd while they were away visiting their sick son.

The officers had a warrant to search the flat for evidence relating to serious fraud allegations against a previous tenant, evicted six weeks before the Boyds moved in.

The Boyds returned home to Woburn Place, Coldean, in September last year to find their locks broken and door frame damaged. The warrant and a bill for the door's repair had been left inside.

A further search revealed £2,000 cash the couple had hidden in a bedroom drawer was missing. The Boyds said they regularly travelled abroad and accumulated foreign currency, which they had recently converted to sterling but not yet banked.

Horrified Mr Boyd, 64, contacted the police and Inland Revenue to report the theft and complain.

Inland Revenue confirmed it had since apologised for its error and offered the Boyds £1,050 compensation to cover damage to their property and legal costs. The Boyds have accepted the apology.

Sussex Police launched an investigation into the allegations and interviewed the police officers and Inland Revenue staff before sending a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Last month, five months after the raid, the Boyds were informed criminal charges were not being brought.

The investigation report has now been sent to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) for consideration as to whether any misconduct action should be taken against the three police officers.

The police informed the Boyds it was now in the "backlog" of cases to be considered by the PCA.

Mr Boyd said: "We want our money back and we want someone to answer for it.

"All we want is some kind of justice but I don't have much faith in the PCA. We want aggravated compensation but I fear it will just be a whitewash.

"I have no trust in Sussex Police now although, on the whole, you have got to rely on them. But if they make a mistake they should put up their hands and admit it."

The Boyds said they suspected the police went through their things because their belongings were disturbed and an officer later returned to question them about a scanner inside their wardrobe. The officer suspected it might be a police radio scanner, although it was later found to be a VHF radio for a boat.

In late January, four months after the initial raid, the Boyds said two police officers called at their home again, still looking for the previous tenant.

Mr Boyd said: "I feel we are becoming victims of harassment now. They think I am a troublemaker because I won't let this go"

One of the Boyds' three sons died four years ago and another suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2001. The couple were visiting him when the raid took place.

Mrs Boyd was recently released from hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown.

She said: "I have been on tranquillisers since this happened. It is all the stress and worry.

"We have tried to be as helpful as possible to the police. People keep doubting we had this £2,000 but we had accumulated it over the years and were waiting to bank it. You just don't think anything like this is going to happen."

Detective Inspector Viv Johnson, of the professional standards department of Sussex Police, said: "The complaint has been fully investigated and, on the advice from the CPS in Kent, no charges have been brought.

"The allegation of misconduct has been referred to the PCA."

A spokeswoman for the PCA said it had received the case just a couple of weeks ago and was only beginning to look into it. She could not comment further at this stage.