POLICE paid a father a visit after he posted a joke on Facebook about accidentally giving his tiny son a taste of hot chilli sauce.

Barber Paul Dawson, 39, was stunned when two officers came to his home in Stockton, Teesside, to ask about giving five-day-old Ben the spicy sauce.

Denbighshire Free Press:

Paul Dawson with his baby son Ben. Police paid the 39 year old a visit after he posted a joke on Facebook about accidentally giving his tiny son a taste of hot chilli sauce. 

The incident was sparked by someone reporting him to Cleveland Police after they saw a post he had written about a trip to a TGI Fridays restaurant.

Mr Dawson explained he was out with his partner and their baby, who was born on New Year's Day, and the infant was being breastfed.

After wiping his hands on a napkin, the businessman took hold of the baby to allow his partner to eat her food.

Mr Dawson said he put a knuckle in Ben's mouth to pacify him - forgetting he had been eating chilli.

The baby made a "funny face" and nothing else happened.

Mr Dawson later wrote on Facebook: "Apparently five-day-old babies don't like it when their dads put their fingers in their mouths after eating hot wings.

"Unintentionally by the way. Lol."

A few days later Mr Dawson was shocked when police knocked on his door to ask if he had been feeding the baby hot sauce.

The new dad said he felt tearful someone had called the police about him, and the officers left after agreeing they had not read the original Facebook post which sparked their inquiries.

Mr Dawson said: "I can't believe with our stretched police force they were sent out without looking into it properly."

A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: "Police received a call from a member of the public regarding concern for the welfare of a baby on Tuesday January 8.

"As a result, two officers were deployed to an address in Stockton to speak with the parents of the baby to understand the circumstances of the report.

"Officers were satisfied that the baby was safe and well and there were no further inquiries carried out."