A POLICE internal probe is under way after a councillor accused officers of "shameful" and "aggressive" conduct during an alert involving patrons at Nicolson's bar in Greenock.
Labour politician Colin Jackson hit out at Police Scotland's handling of the incident, saying their report bore "absolutely no resemblance" to CCTV footage of events.
The incident happened at the Bruce Street pub during a Licensing Board hearing that had been called to review its licence.
Police chiefs had called for councillors to crack down on the pub after a number of episodes at the premises, which culminated in a clash on December 2.
In a report, they detailed a series of call-outs and checks recorded at the venue over a 12-month period, including brawls and drug misuse.
They reported how officers went to the premises on the night of December 2 to check in on an 18th birthday party, and discovered a number of men trying to get rid of packets of white powder in the bathroom.
But legal representatives of Punch Partnership, who own the premises and hold its licence, showed recorded CCTV footage which they said disputed the police's version of events.
They showed an incident during which a young man was put on the floor by officers, described by police in their report as a "large melee".
In the video footage a woman, understood to be the man's mother, then approached police and appeared to exchange words with a female officer.
Councillor Jackson said at the meeting that the clip raised serious questions about the police's version of events.
He added: "I think what we've seen here is absolutely shocking.
"We've seen unjustified and over-the-top aggression from the police.
"What we've got is a report which is shocking because it bears absolutely no resemblance to what actually happened on the night.
"We've seen police aggression towards that young man and his mother justifiably remonstrating with the police.
"What we've then seen in the video is a police officer who looks like she is lashing out at the mother, who's trying to stop the police aggression towards her son.
"Personally I think what we've seen here is shocking and it throws questions on the filed reports that we've got here from the police."
The councillor went on to discuss the bar's former tenant, Michael Frizzell, who has now renounced his lease and moved on from the premises.
He said: "Having seen what happened here I cannot blame Mr Frizzell for wanting to get out of the pub game.
"If that's the support he gets from the police in this town to an incident at his bar then it's a shameful indictment on the police."
In response to criticism of the police's report, Sergeant Fiona Moore-McGrath, of Police Scotland, accepted that the document they had submitted "could have read better".
Police Scotland told teh Greenock Telegraph they were "aware of comments made at a recent licensing board meeting with allegations about the police response to an incident which happened at a licensed premise in Greenock in December 2022".
A spokesperson said: "The allegations are currently being assessed along with information provided and CCTV footage of the incident.”
