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A former Avon and Somerset Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has been acquitted of perverting the course of justice following a trial at Exeter Crown Court.

The former PCSO was charged with the offence following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

Thomas Rowland, aged 25, was found not guilty of making a false witness statement that a man had punched him on 17 September 2016, in Taunton.

As a result of the PCSO’s statement, a man was charged with assaulting a PCSO but the case was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after CCTV footage revealed discrepancies in Mr Rowland’s statement.

Catrin Evans, the IOPC Director with responsibility for Avon and Somerset, said: “The IOPC carried out a thorough investigation into the allegation which led to the Crown Prosecution Service decision to prosecute Mr Rowland.

“In the IOPC investigator’s opinion, Mr Rowland also had a case to answer for grossmisconduct, which was agreed by Avon and Somerset Constabulary.”

Mr Rowland resigned from the force in July 2017. No disciplinary proceedings can now take place.