THE case of a teacher accused of assaulting a police officer has collapsed after it was found that the officers involved had acted illegally.

Samantha Burmis, 39, of Bellman Avenue, Gravesend, was found to have no case to answer when she appeared at Gravesend County Court on Wednesday.

The magistrates made the ruling after Mrs Burmis' solicitor successfully argued that PC David Smith and Sgt Andrew Lewis, of Gravesend Police, acted unlawfully by entering her home without stating exactly why they were there, and without being invited in.

The alleged incident happened in May 2005.