A man who suffered burns to his neck and scalp after police allegedly sprayed him with CS gas on a night out has lodged an official complaint.

Daniel Nelson, 21, of Bradford Road, Crossflatts, claims he was wrongly sprayed by an “over-the-top” officer who stopped him and his two friends for being “too lively” on a Shipley street.

He said the spray left him in agony and unable to move his neck for days. His skin flared up and developed blisters.

Mr Nelson said he and his friends had been out drinking on Thursday, September 29 when a police constable and an accompanying PCSO started to quiz them in the Cragg Road area of Shipley at about 7.30pm.

“They asked us what we were doing and for our details, which we gave them willingly. We had been drinking and we were being lively but we weren’t up to anything.

“We started to move away from the officers but they started to follow us even though we’d answered all their questions. My friends were starting to give them a bit of stick so I told them to forget it. I called the PC a bad name and said to my mates to ignore him – he was just wanting a reaction from us.

“As soon as I called him that name, he made towards me so I ran off. He chased me down Cragg Road but then I stopped and turned back to run towards my friends who were stood with the PCSO. That’s when he got the CS gas out and sprayed it without any warning.

“I ran through the mist and it got into my eyes. I put my arms up and said ‘if you’re going to cuff me then do it’. He cuffed me then sprayed me again at point-blank range onto the back of my neck and scalp. I felt as though I was on fire.”

Mr Nelson said he was taken in a police van to Keighley police station, charged with being drunk and disorderly and after four hours was released with an £80 fixed penalty notice.

“What happened to me was over-the-top. I admit I called the officer names but in no way was I violent or dangerous,” he said.

West Yorkshire Police’s website says CS spray is used to protect an officer when dealing with a violent or dangerous individual who poses a threat to the officer or public.

Chief Inspector Suzanne Akeroyd, of Airedale and North Bradford Police, said: “We are aware of this complaint and an investigation is currently ongoing into the circumstances of the public order incident.

“As the investigation is ongoing we will be unable to comment further until it is concluded.”