POLICE sergeant Richard Fullers name has been cleared after he was found not guilty of using unreasonable force to arrest a man.

Radio ham Gareth Evans, 55, had complained Sgt Fuller, who lives near Devizes, had unnecessarily used his foot to force his head to the ground while he was being arrested at his home, in Hardens Close, Chippenham, in March.

Magistrates in Chippenham found Sgt Fuller, a member of the force's armed response unit based in Devizes who has an unblemished career record, not guilty on the second day of his trial on Thursday, February 9.

They said he had not intended to harm Mr Evans, who suffered superficial facial injuries, and had not used excessive or unreasonable force.

He was alleged to have forced Mr Evans' head to the ground with his foot.

Magistrates in Chippenham heard Mr Evans was arrested at his home in Hardens Close in connection with the harassment of an Internet chat room user a case which has since been dropped.

The court was shown a video of the arrest and photographs of Mr Evans' facial injuries taken after the incident.

Mr Evans, 55, spoke of his terror at the arrest, which used what he described as "agonising force".

Giving evidence, he said: "I was upstairs in my office when I saw a number of police coming up the road.

"I came down to the front door where they told me they were going to arrest me.

"I was in a panic and extremely frightened by so many people.

"I had been at the door for several minutes when I was suddenly thrown to the floor. It was completely uncalled for.

"A handcuff had been put on to my left wrist with huge force. Eleven months later and the mark is still visible. I was in a panic that the same thing was going to happen to my right wrist and I was flailing around on the floor.

"Mr Fuller was swearing at me continuously and I remember him saying to me I know what to do about this'. A boot was applied for my face and ground down hard and I gave a cry of distress.

"I was lying on the floor pinned down by a number of officers. There was a feeling of despair as the handcuff was placed tightly around my other wrist."

Peter Coombe, prosecuting, said the question wasn't whether the incident happened, but if it amounted to reasonable force.

He said: "It was clear that Sgt Fuller lost his temper and used excessive force.

"It was clearly motivated by anger and that is reflected by the remarks he made at the time. Mr Evans posed no risk of immediate violence.

"The state entrusts police officers with the right and power to use force when necessary and must be guarded against using it in excess."

Mr Evans was examined by a forensic pathologist who found the injury on his face consistent with contact of the boot of the type worn by Sgt Fuller.

Nick Fridd, defending, said by last June Mr Evans had made 59 complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Commission about Wiltshire Constabulary.

He said Mr Evans aired his views of the police force on the Internet, calling them the "we'll s***e all over you constabulary".

He also said former police officer Roy Clarke, who was stabbed to death in his Melksham home in December 2004, "deserved what he got".

When asked by Mr Fridd if he shouted and screamed during the arrest to draw the attention of his neighbours, Mr Evans replied: "No. I was in absolute agony. I've never known such pain."

Fuller is a member of the force's armed response unit and is based at Devizes.