A police officer is under criminal investigation for potential assault after Sex Education star Reece Richards claimed he was unlawfully arrested.

The Independent Office For Police Conduct (IOPC) said the same officer is also being investigated for potential gross misconduct, while a second officer is being investigated for potential misconduct.

Richards claimed in an Instagram post that he had been sprayed with an incapacitating liquid and was thrown to the ground and kicked by officers in Fulham, west London, in September this year, after being mistaken for a suspect.

The actor, who plays Eugene in the hit Netflix series, said the incident took place “just yards from my front door” after he had finished performing in a production of Hairspray The Musical.

He said: “On Wednesday September 4, between 12.38am and 2.30am, I was the victim of an unlawful arrest… I had just finished performing in Hairspray the Musical when a car crashed near me.”

Richards said two men jumped out of the vehicle so he pointed police to the direction in which they had fled.

He said the officer then shouted to him that he was under arrest and “demanded” he get to the ground.

The actor added: “I was confused, unable to understand why I was suddenly being treated like a criminal.

“Calmly, I explained that I was a performer returning from a show, but one officer yelled, ‘get to the floor or I’ll pepper spray you’.

“Moments later, three more officers ran at me. They pepper sprayed me, kicked my legs out from under me, threw me to the ground and handcuffed me.

“In a flash, I was face-down on the pavement with multiple officers holding me down, forcing my head into the ground.

The investigation is looking into the use of force by Met Police officers during the arrest of a man, who was later de-arrested

“I was already injured from the show, but having four officers on top of me worsened my injuries to my back, ribs and stomach.”

Loose Women star Brenda Edwards, who is the director of the show Richards was starring in, also alleged he had been “racially profiled and violated”.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “Our investigation into the incident on Fulham Palace Road, West London on September 4 is ongoing.

“The investigation is looking into the use of force by Met Police officers during the arrest of a man, who was later de-arrested.

“In November, we advised an officer that they were under criminal investigation for the potential offence of common assault.

“The same officer is also being investigated for potential gross misconduct and a second officer is being investigated for potential misconduct.

“This does not mean that disciplinary or criminal proceedings will necessarily follow.

“At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings and whether any referral should be made to the Crown Prosecution Service.”