A Cumbrian police officer successfully prosecuted for assaulting a woman has had the conviction overturned.

A trial earlier this year ended with PC Lindsay Clark, 53, who has had an unblemished 15-year career as a police officer, convicted of a common assault, as he worked in Appleby during the town's Horse Fair.

Motorist Karen Maskall claimed he had grabbed her hand and twisted her index finger as he tried to stop her parking in a no-waiting area.

During the appeal at Carlisle Crown Court, she suggested the officer had "the devil" in his eyes as he leaned into her car through its open window and wrenched her finger.

She was left with a sprained and bruised finger, which had to be taped up by doctors.

But after hearing the appeal, including testimony from PC Clark, Judge Peter Hughes QC, sitting with two magistrates, quashed the conviction.

In his evidence, PC Clark described how he had approached Miss Maskall's car as she was trying to reverse it up a driveway, her friend having temporarily removed a cone that was in the road to block access.

He said he approached her car simply because he wanted to explain to her that he could not allow her car to wait there in her car because the police had to be consistent with all motorists in the town.

He said he just wanted to explain this to her.

As he stood next to her car, leaning over to speak to her, he had glanced towards the dog in the back of the car and then saw an object moving towards his face. He instinctively moved up his hand, swiping whatever it was away.

PC Clark said: “I immediately raised my hand as quickly as I could to prevent the object hitting me in the face. At that point, I believed the object was going to my face, which is why I struck out.”

He accepted it was this movement which had caused Miss Maskall's hand injury, but it was not a deliberate assault.

Immediately after this happened, he said, Miss Maskall started shouting he had broken her finger - but he believed she was feigning the injury.

In her evidence, Miss Maskall said she had been dropping off a friend after they had both been walking their dogs, and had no intention of parking.

She claimed the officer had said: “If you answer me back, I'll drag you out of that car and have you arrested.” Miss Maskall said she was scared, and her heart was pounding, and admitted swearing at the officer.

She claimed PC Clark had leaned into the car, and squeezed her finger so hard that the pain was excruciating. But defence barrister Daniel Cordey said there was agreed evidence from another police officer who said Miss Maskall admitted shouting at the officer and pointing her finger at him.

The barrister said there had been inconsistencies in Miss Maskall's evidence while PC Clark was a credible witness. Judge Hughes will set out the court's reason for quashing the conviction today.

He added that decision had been unanimous.