Officer cleared over riot arrest

Officer cleared over riot arrest

The arrest sparked rioting in Harehills

A police officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the arrest of an Asian man which led to riots in an area of Leeds.

The officer, who has not been named, faced a Police Complaints Authority disciplinary hearing over the arrest of Hussein Miah in June 2001.

Mr Miah claimed he was dragged from his car while on a shopping trip with his wife and children and squirted in the face with CS spray.

The incident triggered about six hours of rioting by more than 100 Asian youths in the Harehills area.

Officers were pelted with bricks and bottles, a shop was set alight, 25 cars were burnt out and two police officers were injured during the disturbances.

Mr Miah is considering legal action

The officer was charged with abusing his authority by using excessive force when stopping and arresting Mr Miah over a suspicious tax disc.

A statement released by the Police Complaints Authority said: "No criminal charges were brought in relation to the incident and we regret any distress which has been caused to either Mr Miah or his family.

"The officer concerned appeared before a disciplinary panel where after careful consideration of all the facts the charge of misconduct against him was found not proved."

But Mr Miah told BBC Look North he is now considering civil action against the police force.