Police officer found not guilty in Ian Tomlinson trial

By Ian Dunt

The police officer who hit Ian Tomlinson with a baton and shoved him to ground has been found not guilty of his manslaughter.

After days of deliberation, the jury at Pc Simon Harwood's trial accepted the defence argument that he had been using reasonable force against the newspaper vendor.

Tomlinson's family burst into tears when the verdict was read out and quickly left, while Harwood sat impassively in court.

The Tomlinson death, near the Royal Exchange Buildings in the City of London in April 2009, led to a revision of police tactics in major public order events.