Officers smashed the window and broke down the door to the house in Highfield Road, Kettering, as Michelle Kightley and her son were inside.

It was only after the six officers had started searching the house that Mrs Kightley told them they must have the wrong address, the warrant was checked and the mistake came to light.

Her husband Steven, who was not at home at the time on Tuesday morning, said: "Michelle was feeding our son when three unmarked police cars pulled up.

"Police officers smashed the window of the door but they couldn't get in so they carried on hitting it before they came barging in.

"They dived straight in and three of them ran upstairs while three searched downstairs. They did a complete search of the house and found nothing.

"The officers were just about to bring the police dogs in when Michelle asked them if they had got the address mixed up. Then they checked the warrant and saw they had the wrong address."

It was at that point the officers left the house and went to the correct address, where they arrested one person for possession of Class A drugs and another was cautioned for possession of Class C drugs.

Mr Kightley, 35, explained that the sergeant who was leading the operation returned later that day to apologise.

He said: "He couldn't apologise more. We have filed a complaint and it's being looked into. They said it was human error but that's not helping my wife; she's a nervous wreck.

"We had to get the doctor out so she could get some tablets for her nerves."

He added: "We detest drugs. With five children, we would never have drugs in the house or anyone who uses drugs. What must the neighbours think?

"It looks like we're criminals."

The house is council-owned so Kettering Council had to make emergency repairs to make the house safe. It will be charging Northamptonshire Police for the repairs.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: "We can confirm officers mistakenly broke down the door of a property in Highfield Road, Kettering, during the execution of a drugs warrant.

"Northamptonshire Police is very sorry for the distress caused to the family concerned and does not like errors to be made.

"Officers apologised directly to the family at the time of the incident and returned to the property again later to give reassurance that the property was not under suspicion."