Hello everyone, Just after a bit of advice please, this

Hello everyone,

Just after a bit of advice please, this is the background:

A couple of years ago my parents retired to a small rural town. Unfortunately they ended up next to a 'neighbour from hell' who has harassed and intimidated them for the past 18 months, mainly low-level stuff like loud music, lighting fires when my folks are out in the garden so the smoke drives them inside, parking across their driveway, verbal abuse, minor criminal damage etc. Like I say mainly low-level although his daughter has threatened and once assaulted my mother. Police, council etc have all been involved but nothing can be done apparently. My folks have had to install CCTV and put up a high fence.

Anyway just before Xmas I was visiting, my parent's house is at the end of a short lane, his house is at the other end. When I came to leave the neighbour had blocked the lane with rocks and tree stumps so I couldn't drive out. I knocked on his door & asked him to move them, he refused, he became argumentative so we called the police.
During the argument (raised voices, nothing physical) one of his friends arrived to see what was going on, the neighbour claimed I had threatened & attacked him, but the other guy said he hadn't seen anything then left. The police came & spoke to me & the neighbour separately, didn't take a statement or anything. I moved the rocks myself, went home & forgot about it.

Anyway yesterday I got a call from the local police station saying that the incident had been 'looked at' and they had enough evidence to proceed with a section 5 public order offence. I assumed they meant against the neighbour but no, they meant me, apparently the friend of the neighbour has now signed a statement saying that I had threatened/attacked him. So they want me to come into the station and accept a warning under the harassment act, when I said I wanted to see my solicitor first, the officer threatened to have me arrested at home & brought to the station.

So, sorry for all the waffle, I have a few questions:

Can I be arrested 4 months after a potential S5 offence? I read that S5 was non-arrestable?
If it was a S5 offence why did the attending officer take no action? Does that signify anything?
Do I have to accept this warning under the Harassment act? I understood harassment had to be more than 1 incident.

Any other advice as how to deal with this? I am generally law-abiding & have no police record, however to me it seems dodgy that the 'witness' left and didn't make any statement to the police on the day, as I said he is a mate of the neighbour so perhaps his independence is questionable? Incidentally my folks have photos of the incident showing me, the neighbour & his friend all standing around normally, there is no evidence of any agression, raised voices that's all.

I'm seeing my solicitor next week but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Richard

Hi thanks for the reply.
I have seen this on another site, can you just confirm that it is incorrect?

Section 5 is triable summarily only, the maximum penalty is a fine, and it is not an “arrestable offence”. A constable may only arrest if:

a) a person engages in offensive conduct which a constable warns him to stop, and
b) that person engages in further offensive conduct immediately or shortly after the warning.