Lifelong Leeds Utd fan files police complaint after case

A Leeds United fan has filed a complaint against West Yorkshire Police after her children were left by themselves at Elland Road while she was arrested over allegations later dismissed at court.

- by Graham Smyth

Sarah Widdowson was arrested and taken to Elland Road police station during the May 4 game against Southampton in 2024.

The 47-year-old lifelong Leeds fan was accused of aiming racial abuse at a player and later also charged with swearing in public.

Last month she was found not guilty of both charges at Leeds Magistrates.

She has now made an official complaint to West Yorkshire Police's Professional Standards Directorate because her two sons were left in the ground while she was taken to the police station.

Sarah says she informed arresting officers that her eldest son Jack, now 18, is autistic and was therefore not suitable to look after James who was four at the time.

Sarah wasn't planning to go to the game, which could have seen Leeds promoted, having injured her ankle in a fall. Her sons, however, were desperate to go.

James had been going to games from four weeks old and they all had South Stand season tickets.

She recalls watching most of the first half on a TV in the concourse with James, because she needed to be close to the bathroom having felt sick due to medication.

"Just before halftime I returned to my seat with James, because obviously everyone's coming down for a pint," she told the YEP.

"I was sat down and two police officers walked by, went into [section] FA4.

"I didn't pay any attention to it because it was nothing to do with me. But the two of them came over to me and said that they would like a word.

"Everybody around me said, why? What for? And the female officer leant over and said 'if you don't come with us now we're going to handcuff you in front of your children.'