By Victoria Brenan

Last updated at 12:06, Wednesday, 12 January 2011

A police officer has left the Cumbrian force after he was arrested for assaulting a sergeant on a police night out.

Former PC Craig McAllister was arrested on suspicion of assault following a brawl in the Vine Hotel in Whitehaven on December 16.

He was suspended after the incident, said to have occurred when the other policeman intervened in a dispute between Mr McAllister and a female officer. He was later cautioned and resigned on Thursday.

The victim, described at the time as a man in his 30s, suffered minor injuries.

The News & Star can reveal that it was the second time the officer was arrested after he was alleged to be involved in a fracas at a pub in Durham.

He was one of two officers from Cumbria who were locked up for public order offences in the Bishop’s Mill pub in Millennium Place in November 2009 after reports of rowdy behaviour and people dancing on tables.

They were part of the force Tactical Support Group, trained to use firearms, who were on a training course.

It is understood that Mr McAllister was later stripped of his firearms ticket.

A spokesman for Durham police confirmed that two off-duty officers were held in custody for several hours and then bailed. He said the matter was later referred back to Cumbria police to deal with internally and no criminal proceedings were initiated.

A spokesman for Cumbria police said there had been a thorough investigation into the incident in the Vine Hotel, which happened shortly before midnight, and confirmed that a police officer had been arrested.

“In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service he [later] received a caution,” a statement from the force said. “He was off duty when the incident occurred and is no longer an officer with Cumbria police.”

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde said they did not tolerate violence by police officers or staff and said criminal proceedings would be considered “in the same way as if the victim or offender was a member of the public”.

“In this particular case both criminal and disciplinary proceedings were invoked,” he said.

“An officer has since received a criminal caution following advice from the CPS and no longer works for the constabulary.”

A spokesman for the force said one of the officers arrested after the incident in Durham had received a written warning. It is not known if that was Mr McAllister.

First published at 11:43, Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk