So are we now going to prosecute him for wasting police time........


An arrest in which a policeman used CS spray on a black driver was not racially motivated, an inquiry ruled.

Olufemi Ijebuode, 38, made an official complaint after he was stopped by the officer in Bournemouth, Dorset, and sprayed at close range in April 2005.

Mr Ijebuode, who was driving below the speed limit, said the officer was aggressive and racially abused him.

But an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation by Kent Police has cleared the Dorset force.

The IPCC said Mr Ijebuode's account of the incident was not backed up by independent witnesses.

IPCC Commissioner Ian Bynoe said: "The IPCC takes allegations of racism by police officers very seriously and ensured that all of Mr Ijebuode's complaints were thoroughly investigated.

"There were a number of independent witnesses to Mr Ijebuode's arrest and the significant majority did not corroborate his account of what happened.

"In addition, the arresting traffic officer who stopped him recorded the whole incident on the in-car video camera and submitted this evidence to the inquiry."

The investigation examined the records of the arresting officer.

They did not show any bias by the officer towards stopping people from a visibly non-white background, the IPCC said.

Mr Ijebuode was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug and assaulting police.

The case against Mr Ijebuode was later dismissed when no evidence was offered.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "Dorset Police is always striving to improve its service to the public still further and the force takes any allegations of racism very seriously.

"Racism, in any form, is not and will not be tolerated."

Clive Chamberlain, Dorset Police Federation chairman, said the officer involved had been "subjected to a huge amount of pressure".

He added: "Racism in any form will not be tolerated, but it is equally unacceptable when those who are lawfully arrested seek to hide behind it and look to it as an automatic defence."

Dorset Police is welcoming a report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which has found no evidence to support complaints of racial abuse and assault by an officer in his arrest of Olufemi Ijebuode in Bournemouth.

Mr Ijebuode was stopped in his vehicle and arrested by a road policing unit officer in Shaftesbury Road, Charminster, Bournemouth, on 29 April 2005 on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug and assaulting police officers.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: “Dorset Police welcomes the findings of the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation which found no evidence to support Mr Ijebuode’s claims of racial abuse and assault concerning his arrest.

“Dorset Police voluntarily referred the complaint to the Commission which also found no evidence to support Mr Ijebuode’s other complaints - including irregularities in evidence and neglect of duty.

“The Commission also found that the arresting officer’s record of stopping the public and issuing tickets to motorists did not show any evidence of bias against people from a visible non-white background.

“Because of the judicial process - and so as not to prejudice the IPCC investigation - Dorset Police has been unable to comment in detail about Mr Ijebuode’s allegations until now.

“As demonstrated in the recent Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police (HMIC) baseline assessment report, Dorset Police is one of the best performing forces in the country and has high standards. The IPCC investigation has established that the police officer acted entirely appropriately.

“Dorset Police is always striving to improve its service to the public still further and the force takes any allegations of racism very seriously. Racism, in any form, is not and will not be tolerated,” explained the Dorset Police spokesman.

The thorough Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation was carried out by a senior investigator from Kent Police under the management of the Commission.

It was in March 2006 that the court case against Mr Ijebuode was dismissed after no evidence was offered. The district judge refused an earlier adjournment request made by Dorset Police because of the non-availability of the arresting officer.