THE police watchdog confirmed today that it is considering a criminal investigation into an incident where a man was punched repeatedly by an officer in Porthmadog.

The event happened on May 10 when North Wales Police officers arrested a man in a garden. Footage showing him being punched while he was held on the ground was widely shared on social media and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has decided to independently investigate it.

IOPC director David Ford said: “Based on the evidence we have reviewed so far, we have notified a police constable that they are under criminal investigation.”

Investigators have examined police body cameras and phone footage of the incident, which showed an officer striking the man to his head a number of times while he was being held prone. 

The same officer used incapacitant spray as the man was being placed in the rear of a police van. 

The man was then taken by ambulance to hospital and later released back into police custody.