A police officer accused of using excessive force during an arrest in December 2005 has pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Lee Armstrong, 27, of Ilkley, who has been in the West Yorkshire Force for almost four years, entered his not guilty plea when he appeared before a judge at Bradford Crown Court today for a plea and case management hearing.

The officer has denied assaulting Lawrence Lister during an incident four days before Christmas in 2005.

Prosecutor Katherine Goddard said the charge related to the officer using excessive force to effect an arrest and included an allegation of 'unnecessary banging'' of the complainant's face on the bonnet of a vehicle.

Judge Roger Scott was told by Armstrong's barrister Michael Cane-Soothill that an application would be made for his client's trial to be heard at another crown court, possibly in Doncaster or Sheffield.

Because of the uncertainty about where the trial will take place Judge Scott said he was unable to give Armstrong a date for when his trial would start.

Judge Scott renewed Armstrong's bail in the meantime and told him that he would be notified about the date of the trial and where it would take place.