A TEENAGER whose arrest outside Blackburn Jobcentre was posted on social media has accepted a police caution.

Following his arrest on Wednesday morning, footage taken by passers-by was uploaded onto the internet with claims too much force was used.

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However, police said the shots show only a small portion of the events and were ‘easy to take out of context’.

Within hours of the incident, the video had been posted by YouTube user Imran Ali and was shared on Facebook.

The two short clips showed an officer removing the 19-year-old’s glasses before pepper-spraying him in the face.

The other shows officers surrounding and forcefully restraining him.

A number of people were standing around at the time watching the incident.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “An altercation occurred between two men outside Blackburn Jobcentre on Penny Street at about 10am on Wednesday, during which police officers were required to intervene and had to restrain a man.

“We are aware that footage of the incident has subsequently appeared on social media but this only shows a small proportion of the events and is easy to take out of context.

“While restraint techniques can sometimes appear rough to the untrained eye, people should be reassured that the officers employing these techniques are highly trained and are employing tactics necessary to minimise the risk to both themselves and those being restrained.”

The 19-year-old man from Blackburn was arrested on suspicion of using threatening words or behaviour.

He later accepted a caution by officers. After the video was sent to police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw, he said it was an internal matter.

A spokesman said: "The Commissioner is aware of the footage of restraint being used against an individual resisting arrest. If the individual chooses to complain the Commissioner is confident that this will be dealt with properly by the force in line with the nationally agreed police complaints procedure.

"The Commissioner is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for the procedure, it is not his role to conduct or intervene with individual complaints against rank and file officers."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was not aware of any complaints relating to the footage.