A POLICE officer was cleared today of assaulting a hunt saboteur during an angry Suffolk fox-hunt.South East Suffolk Magistrates took two hours to return a verdict on Pc Keith Warren after a two day trial.

By Amanda Cresswell

A POLICE officer was cleared today of assaulting a hunt saboteur during an angry Suffolk fox-hunt.

South East Suffolk Magistrates took two hours to return a verdict on Pc Keith Warren after a two day trial.

Pc Warren, 48, was cleared of grabbing Bevan Earey by the throat and pushing a fist to his face at a meeting of the Essex and Suffolk Foxhounds in Chattisham, near Ipswich.

Hunt protestors stormed out of the public gallery after bench chairwoman Anne Parry returned a not guilty verdict.

Magistrates said PC Warren, a police officer for 30 years, acted in self defence using a technique called the palm hand on Earey – which is used by police to calm situations.

Pc Warren, who denied assault, hugged his defence barrister, Matthew McNiff, after the verdict.

For more details see The Evening Star tomorrow.