Police Watchdog alerted after CCTV footage of arrest in Accrington comes under fire

Footage of an arrest in Lonsdale Street, Accrington, is being reviewed by the police's Professional Standards Department and the Independent Office for Police Conduct after it came under criticism.

At about 11am on January 8, police received a report of a burglary at an address in Blackburn during which a Nissan Juke car was stolen.

The car was later spotted by police in the Church area and pursued by officers to the Lonsdale Street area of Accrington.

Shortly after 2pm, a stinger was deployed to bring the vehicle to a stop.

A man then got out of the car and was detained by officers.

Footage of his arrest, which appears to have been taken on a CCTV camera nearby, was shared widely online.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: "You may have seen video footage being circulated in the media of an incident that occurred in Accrington last week.

"We appreciate the concern that perceptions of the officer actions in this video have caused and we would like to reassure people that the incident is being fully reviewed by our Professional Standards Department.

"In the interests of openness and transparency we are also voluntarily referring the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct."

Police confirmed the man in the video, Adeel Ashraf, 34, has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving.