A police sergeant has been charged with ‘racially aggravated assault’ after allegedly using PAVA spray on a Polish man in custody.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the officer will appear in court on August 12.

The sergeant is charged with “racially aggravated assault by beating, assault by beating and administering a poison or noxious thing”.

It follows an IOPC investigation after a referral was received from the force relating to a complaint made by the detained man.

He alleged the officer had used excessive force against him while he was in custody.

Police Sergeant Gregory Wyss, 45, will appear before Cambridge magistrates.

The IOPC says the charges “relate to the arrest and restraint of a Polish man and the use of PAVA spray, whilst he was in custody at Peterborough Police Station, on January 2, 2021.

The IOPC says that on June 11 they referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The officer was notified of the charging decision on June 29.