Man arrested for confronting gang

An ex-detective has condemned the actions of Northumbria Police as "an utter disgrace" after he was locked up for confronting beer-throwing youths.

Paul Lawson, 52, said a gang threatened to kill him when he challenged them.

But he was later arrested on suspicion of attacking one of the them, and then had to wait two months before being told no further action would be taken.

The news comes less than a month after Northumbria's chief constable urged the public to tackle rowdy behaviour.

The force said it stood by the actions of its officers.

Last month Northumbria's chief constable Mike Craik urged ordinary people to challenge rowdy behaviour like swearing and drinking.

Mr Lawson, a former inspector with the Metropolitan Police's Professional Standards Unit, who retired to his native Northumberland after 30 years in the service, said the Northumbria force had "abrogated their responsibility."

He said his ordeal began on a Friday night in April 2007, when his wife Chris, 54, was driving him and his brother home from a Morpeth car park.

As the car moved away, someone in a group of male youths threw a can.

"I got out and moved towards them. I was going to make a citizen's arrest, but things very quickly turned nasty," Mr Lawson said.

"I was surrounded by about 12 of them. They told me to leave or they would kill me."

'Absolutely furious'

Mr Lawson said he reported the incident to two beat officers who said they would patrol the area.

Two weeks later he was summonsed to Bedlington Police Station where he was arrested and held in a cell for more than two hours.

He added: "I was told I had been arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and that a youth claimed I grabbed and bruised him. I was absolutely furious.

"I and I am still waiting for my allegations to be investigated. I am very angry about the whole experience."

A Northumbria Police spokesman said it believed officers acted properly and that the force understood Mr Lawson had accepted the outcome of an investigation into a complaint he had made.

He said: "We are disappointed to learn that this was not, in fact, the case and that Mr Lawson was not satisfied with the outcome of his complaint.

"He has not recontacted us since that time to discuss his latest concerns and we have now invited him to do so.

"The chief constable stands by his recent comments regarding anti-social behaviour."