A housewife was listed among the the most wanted Brits in the world by Interpol

A housewife has told how Interpol mistakenly named and photographed her alongside alleged paedophiles and murderers in a list of the most wanted Brits in the world

Adriana Barton, 41, was horrified when her name and passport photo was featured in a list of the world's 25 most wanted British alleged criminals.

The mum-of-two was contacted by worried friends and family when she appeared as one of just three women included in the global appeal for wanted fugitives.

The 'red notice' accused her of fraud in Costa Rica and was published on Interpol's website.

Terrified she locked all her doors and windows before plucking up the courage to 'hand herself in' to local police.

Mrs Barton from Weymouth - who has never been in trouble with the law - spent hours at the station while baffled officers rang law enforcement authorities around the world.

She was allowed home "until they could get to the bottom of it" - but it took the National Crime Agency SIX MONTHS to apologise.

Passport error

Lawyers for the NCA admitted they handed over her passport details and photo to Interpol in Costa Rica in "error" when police their asked for info on another criminal suspect.

But astonishingly they denied liability for defamation - despite her photo and name being reproduced by newspapers and websites around the world.

Even now when Adriana searches for her name in an online search engine, her face appears in 'rogues galleries' of the most sought alleged criminals.

She said: "I can't believe they could make such a mistake.

"They were looking for a criminal fraudster - but they issued a picture and name of a housewife in Weymouth.

"I think it's outrageous.

"Robbers... and murderers"

"When I looked at the page I was shaking. It was robbers and rapists and murderers - and me.

"Interpol and the NCA are supposed to protect people. It makes you worry about trusting the system.

"You would think before they hand over these details about people they would double, if not triple check.

"It can destroy someone's life. It makes me so angry to just think about it."

Adriana Barton from Weymouth, Dorset whose photo was accidentally put on the NCA and Interpol 'Most Wanted' Brits list

Adriana was out power-walking when she received a message from a friend in Ireland asking if she was ok, accompanied by a link to a story on the Sun Online, in July 2017.

Mrs Barton opened the link and the story included her passport photo and name and said she was wanted for fraud.

She thought the story about 'Interpol's 25 most wanted Britons in world' was a mock-up by her pal.

No joke

"I phoned her, and she wasn't joking," said Adriana, who moved to England from Costa Rica in 1997, and is married to joiner Mark, 49.

"I just panicked. I felt sick. I started shaking. I put the phone down and started locking the doors and windows.

"I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. I thought the police would be banging on the door and everyone would be looking for me.