Fireman gets police payout

John James was in McDonald's restaurant in Oldbury town centre with his six-year-old son and ex-partner when he was stopped by police.

He was then wrongly accused of dealing drugs before being arrested.

A friend of Mr James who was with him and the manager of the McDonald's both verified to the police that he was not dealing drugs.

But these pleas were ignored and one of the police officers verbally threatened the 37-year-old before assaulting him, solicitors Irwin Mitchell said today.

Mr James, who works for Gloucestershire Fire Service, but lives in Oldbury, complained of excessive force and that he was not given his rights at the police station, which was upheld.

During the course of the investigation, the arresting officer resigned from the police service.

Mr James said today: "The police officers were informed a black man was selling drugs from a blue car in the car park of the McDonald's. I was in the queue waiting to be served with my son when I was approached by the policeman intent on arresting me."

Mr James said he had his arm twisted behind his back and forced onto his knees. He was taken to Smethwick police station. Mr James denied any wrong doing and after several court appearances and almost a year later the matter was dropped.

Iftikhar Manzoor of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, who represented Mr James in his case against West Midlands Police said: "This is clearly a case of an over reaction from police officers on someone they may well have worked alongside at some point."

A spokesman for West Midlands Police was unavailable for comment.

By Michelle Pearson