A WOMAN who was bombarded with obscene mail and telephone calls after her personal details were posted on an Internet site has criticised police for closing the investigation.

Joan Young received magazines, catalogues and computer discs, as well as numerous phone calls, at her Darlington home about a year ago.

A 44-year-old man was arrested yesterday and admitted sending her some "unwanted material" through the post.

But he denied any other offence and was released with a caution. Police said that was the end of the matter.

Mrs Young reacted to the news with dismay.

She said: "To be honest, I'm sick as a parrot. It just doesn't seem right to me because it seems like it's going to be forgotten.

"I'm going to try and do something about it, but I don't know what yet until I get my head together."

She said she had been the victim of a "sick joke", and added: "It was very distressing, to say the least, and difficult to describe. It was like being violated and mentally raped. I had men ringing from all over the country, and it was awful.

"I know these things go on, but you don't think it's going to happen to you."

She began speaking to the callers to discover how they had her details, and found out her details had been included on a website for swingers - couples who take part in wife-swapping and group sex.

Mrs Young changed her phone numbers and the calls stopped, but she still had hopes that the person who placed her name on the Internet would be caught.

A spokesman for Durham Police said: "All of these allegations arose from material sent to her in the post over a year ago.

"It was investigated and we did all we could, but it has been very difficult to prove anything.

"A 44-year-old man, who resides in Thailand but is originally from Darlington, was arrested on suspicion of harassment and interviewed.

"He admitted sending unwanted material through the post and was given a formal police caution."