A Lancashire Constabulary officer has been charged with assault following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

The investigation centred on the arrest of a 34-year-old man in Accrington on 8 January 2020. Footage of the arrest, which was shared widely on social media, showed the man being restrained by a number of officers.

The matter was voluntarily referred to IOPC on 13 January. A statement from the IOPC read, "We referred our evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in June who made the decision to charge Police Constable (PC) Saul Hignett, aged 26, with (section 39) common assault.

"The officer is due to appear before Manchester Magistrates Court on 4 August 2020."

In March, Adeel Ashraf was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

Burnley Crown Court heard that the arrest took place following a 10-minute daytime pursuit through residential streets in Accrington, during which Ashraf deliberately drove at at least one police car.