POLICE have confirmed they are investigating a pensioner's allegations that he was manhandled by three officers when he tried to persuade them to do something about illegal parking outside his home.

Raymond Allan, 75, is embroiled in a long-running dispute with neighbours over parking on the pavement outside his home, in Norman Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire.

He claimed officers were "indifferent" when he visited Richmond police station and that he was manhandled before being locked up for a short time.

Mr Allan, who has had an hip operation and suffers from heart trouble, went to see his doctor the same day for a check-up and has since lodged a formal complaint.

As a result, he has also been examined by a doctor working for North Yorkshire Police and has been interviewed about what happened by another police officer.

"I'm an old man. It's not like I was resisting arrest or anything - how could I, against three of them?" he said yesterday.

A police spokesman said: "We can confirm a formal complaint has been made and an officer from the complaints and professional standards department has been allocated to conduct an investigation. A report will be submitted to the Police Complaints Authority in due course."