Potton pensioner arrested after altercation with officers as Beds Police refers itself to IOPC

Graphic pictures seen by the Chronicle have been released on social media by someone claiming to be a family member, which allegedly show cuts and bruises to the man's body.

Two Bedfordshire Police officers arrived in the town at around 5am on Friday (September 2) after reports of a disturbance, but visited the wrong address by mistake. It is understood that this address was the pensioner’s.

However, there was then an altercation between the man in his 80s and police officers.

He was arrested on suspicion of assault on an emergency worker.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: "Two uniformed officers responding to reports of a disturbance in Potton at around 5am on Friday initially approached the wrong address by mistake.

"After they walked away from the property, officers were approached in the street by a resident holding a wooden implement.

"The two officers at the scene called for back-up and several other units attended for support. All these officers were in full uniform and in marked police vehicles.

"Before further units arrived, an altercation ensued where our officers tried to take the wooden implement from the resident, during which one of the officers sustained a cut to her face.

"A man in his 80s was arrested on suspicion of assault on an emergency worker.

"He was taken into custody for a brief period and has since been released under investigation, while we assess the evidence."

Detective Chief Superintendent Julie Henderson from Bedfordshire Police said: “We understand the concerns regarding this incident and are carrying out our own internal review.

“We have also voluntarily referred ourselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, for full openness and transparency and to ascertain if there is any learning to be taken forward.

“Over the coming days the welfare of all those involved will be our primary concern.”

The police spokesman also confirmed that officers initially parked outside the wrong address and did approach it, but said that they never entered the property.

He added: "The wooden implement referred to is not a walking stick: we are describing it as something similar in size and shape to a rounders bat.

"It isn’t a rounders bat, but it is a wooden stick of that sort of size and shape."