One-legged man saves mother and baby from thugs only to be arrested for carrying a truncheon

A one-legged Royal Navy veteran was arrested after he rescued his neighbour from being harassed by two men.

Stephen Beerling, 52, dialled 999 and raced to help the women and her baby after hearing screams during the night.

But he was arrested when officers spotted a retractable truncheon he had picked up in case he had to protect himself.



Mr Beerling, a Liberal Democrat councillor, was arrested, locked up for 12 hours and charged with possessing an offensive weapon. He told of his ordeal yesterday after learning the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to drop the charge against him.

Mr Beerling, of Maidstone, Kent, said: ' I am relieved, but very disappointed it even came to this. I don't blame the police but maybe they should have used their noggin. Perhaps they were a little inexperienced. The blame lies with the CPS - I just cannot understand why they wanted to press charges.'

A police spokesman said the two men arrested with Mr Beerling were charged with affray, but the cases were later dropped.