A POLICE force in the North-East has been ordered to reinvestigate a complaint of wrongful arrest and it is recommended an officer face a meeting to examine a possible misconduct charge over an alleged assault.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) upheld a complaint that a Cleveland Police officer assaulted the 41-year-old by punching him.

The complainant was arrested at his home, a caravan on a farm in Hartlepool, in February 2012 by officers from the force.

He initially made a number of complaints to Cleveland Police during his detention and later appealed to the IPCC after they were not upheld by the force.

The IPCC has also ordered that a complaint for unlawful arrest be reinvestigated by Cleveland Police.

An IPCC spokesman said: “The man had been recording his arrest on his mobile telephone and alleged that it had been taken off him and the recording deleted.

"Although tests showed no files had been deleted from the telephone, a complaint about this was upheld by the IPCC on the basis that the officers did not have the authority to look through the telephone.

“Complaints that he was assaulted by officers who entered his caravan, that he was mocked by officers inside the caravan, that an officer refused to give his collar number and that damage was caused to his property were not upheld.”

The announcement was made in the week when Cleveland Police published proposals to be more open and transparent with disciplinary matters involving the force when an officer is sacked.

Earlier this week, Temporary Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer said: said: “One of the priorities for Cleveland Police for 2013/14 is a focus on integrity, and we started this work last year by setting up an Integrity Board and implementing the recommendations of the HMIC reports.

“The publication of disciplinary outcomes forms part of that process, and I hope that the public will support us and trust us to do the right thing as we take this initiative forward.”