THE parents of an 18-year-old Poole man have lodged an official complaint against police officers who are said to have handcuffed him and strapped his legs behind his back after he was wrongly suspected of a violent crime.

John Jewell, of Patchins Road, Turlin Moor, claims he received injuries at the hands of police after being wrongfully arrested.

He was on his way to visit friends in The Triangle, Bournemouth, on the evening of Friday, March 23, when he was stopped by four police officers.

John still has the injuries which he says he sustained in the ensuing scuffle and he claims his back and shoulders were scratched.

He told the Daily Echo: "I had been drinking at Hamworthy Liberal Club and got in a taxi to Westbourne.

"I started running towards The Triangle when I was stopped by two police officers who took my name and details but they let me go," he added.

"The next thing I knew there were four of them. I was chucked on the floor and hit.

"They strapped my legs behind my back and dragged me towards the police van and put me in the back where they slammed my head down.

"I asked them what I had done but they did not answer.

"It wasn't until they took me to Bournemouth police station that they said they were arresting me in connection with a robbery at Tesco.

"Then they said I matched the description of one of the suspects."

John says he was strip searched and then spent a night in police cells before being released without charge.

Both his parents and John say they have still yet to receive an apology about the incident.

His mum Tania Jewell said: "We went along to the interview on Saturday because John is dyslexic so he cannot read or write.

"He was in a terrible state. The police said they had someone else in custody and let him go," she said.

"We are confused at the moment because they later told us it was in connection with a knife attack which was not the Tesco robbery but a different crime that happened on the same night; and they were asking John if he knew all these people but he didn't."

Mrs Jewell added: "A police photographer came down from Weymouth to take a photo of his injuries on Monday.

"On Wednesday we had a phone call from Poole Police Station asking us what it was all about.

"Apparently they are dealing with it now but I just said we don't know what it's about."

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: "We are looking into the complaint and will be investigating it further."