A Police Officer involved in the arrest of ex-Imperial College Staff Member, Babar Ahmad, is facing an internal inquiry conducted by Scotland Yard as a 'matter of routine'. PC Mark Jones has recently been cleared of racial assault on two teenagers after a key witness admitted personal differences between him and the defendant meant the statement was untrustworthy.

A team of jurors at Kingston Crown Court cleared PC Jones of two charges of racially aggravated common assault on Tuesday last week, reports the Evening Standard. However, it has since been revealed that Jones was involved in the 'controversial' arrest of Babar Ahmad in 2003.

Ahmad is due to be extradited to the US to stand trial having lost an appeal in 2006 which was supported by Imperial College Union. A 'Free Babar Ahmad' Policy was voted through Union Council after a vicious debate where one councillor was removed from the Union Building by Security. Ahmad worked for ICT at the time on the fourth floor of the Mechanical Engineering Building when Imperial was listed in the Guardian as a home for 'extremists'.

The arrest of Babar Ahmad is now being described as "a serious, gratuitous and prolonged attack" in which Jones, referred to in High Court Documents as "Officer X", was accused of assaulting Mr Ahmad who was "held in a neck brace, punched and mocked for his religious beliefs". Ahmad was later awarded £60,000 in damages but the police officers involved did not face prosecution and an order was imposed to protect their identities.

PC Jones faces losing his job if the inquiry by Scotland Yard produces anything more conclusive on the basis of these two cases.

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