A police community support officer who had to stand trial for swearing at a man he claimed had viciously attacked him has been cleared.

Trevor Foulds had been suspended form his position with West Yorkshire Police pending the outcome of the trial brought by his employers.

The 20-year-old wept yesterday as magistrates in Bradford found him not guilty of threatening behaviour and an alternative charge of causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

After the hearing his mother, Hilary Foulds, said: "We are very pleased with the verdict and justice has been done in the courtroom - but an injustice has still been done to my son because he should never have stood trial for this offence.

"His family, friends and colleagues have never doubted his innocence and I cannot understand why the police have been so insistent on bringing this case to court."

Mrs Foulds, of Horton Bank Top, Bradford, said her son had always wanted to join the police force.

"He was so proud when he got the job as a Community Support Officer and was very dedicated to his career,"she said.

"I am hoping he can return to work now and do what he is good at, serving the community of Bradford."

Mr Foulds, of Ascot Avenue, Horton Bank Top, had told the magistrates he had been head-butted by Jonathan Spencer inside Bar Me on Great Horton Road in March last year. Both men were thrown out of the club.

But when Mr Foulds was outside calling the police from his mobile phone, he said, he was hit across the back of the head by another man, sending his phone flying into the road.

He said he was then pounced on by a group of men and beaten again, but when the police arrived the assailants ran off.

Mr Foulds was spoken to at the scene by PC Rory Ramani, who told magistrates the defendant was angry, aggressive and swearing loudly.

Cleo Clarke, prosecuting, said Mr Foulds had shouted abuse at the gang while he was on the phone to the police which had instigated the violence outside the club. But Mr Foulds always claimed he had been the victim.

"I don't know how you can harass someone who has just assaulted you," he said when he was arrested a week after the incident.

Mr Foulds claimed he had been "petrified" by the assault, was acting in self-defence and had been trying to warn his attackers off when he swore at them.

He suffered a broken nose and a cut face in the attack and said he knew that his position with the police would have been on the line if he had got himself involved in any violence.

From the witness box, he added that no charges had been brought against the men who attacked him because the proper paper work had not been filled in.