Police officer appears in court in connection with the treatment of a 16-year-old boy in custody in Banbury

A Thames Valley Police officer has appeared in court charged with battery in connection with the treatment of a 16-year-old boy while he was being held in police custody in Banbury.

The charge follows an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the incident on January 4.

A spokesperson for the IOPC said: "The matter was voluntarily referred to us on January 16.

"We referred our evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in June who made the decision to charge Police Sergeant Matthew Myers, aged 49, with battery, contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988."

He appeared at Luton Magistrates' court on August 19 to enter a not guilty plea and today (Wednesday September 2) his trial date was set for February 22, 2021.