The Police Service yesterday leapt to the defence of its handling of an alleged death threat at a Warwick store on Tuesday.

Police press officer Evelyn James Barnett said: "A doll found with a hangman's noose around its neck tied to a doorknob is unnerving but not criminal.'' Lines Food and Liquor owner Richard Powell arrived at work at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and found the doll there. He contacted Police whom he later blasted for mishandling the situation.

Mrs. James Barnett said the officer who attended the store after Mr. Powell called Police "has had some 20 years in the service'' and "acted quite correctly.'' But Mr. Powell said the officer sniggered when he was shown the doll and then threw it "onto the floor of the passenger side of the car in the dust and the dirt.'' "Is this the way an officer of more than 20 years experience handles evidence that could possibly contain fingerprints?'' Mrs. James Barnett said "the doll is being examined by our Scenes of Crime office.'' Mr. Powell replied: "If the doll turns up at the Scenes of Crime office with smudged fingerprints will the officer be held responsible for mishandling the property?''