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A blind man was tasered, thrown to the ground and handcuffed by a police officer who mistook his white stick for a samurai sword.

Colin Farmer, 61, thought he was being attacked by muggers when he was hit in the back by the 50,000-volt stun device.

The grandfather revealed how the officer wrenched his arms behind his back to handcuff him while he screamed: “I’m blind, I’m blind, I’m blind.”

Retired architect Colin was on his way to meet friends at a restaurant when he was spotted by police on the lookout for a man seen waving a sword around.

He said: “I felt this thump in the back and a huge electric shock... it was like being plugged into the mains or grabbing hold of a pylon.

“All my muscles turned to dust and I thought they were going to kill me.

“I hit my head on the floor, then this policeman came around to say I was under arrest.

"I said, ‘I’m blind, I’m blind, I’m blind’, but he knelt on me and dragged my arms round my back so tight I’ve had bruises since.

“There’s no way he could not have seen my stick.”

Colin fumed: “I want this officer sacked, charged and locked up because there is no excuse whatsoever for attacking a registered blind and disabled, retired man without warning and with such a potentially lethal weapon.”

(Image: PA)

The Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed it is to investigate after Lancashire Police apologised for the incident.

Chief Supt Stuart Williams said in a statement: “Last Friday evening we received a number of reports that a man was walking through the town armed with a samurai sword.

“One of the officers believed he had located the offender. Despite asking the man to stop, he failed to do so and the officer discharged his Taser.

“It then became apparent that this man was not the person we were looking for and officers attended to him straight away.”

He went on: “Lancashire Constabulary deeply regrets what has happened.

“We have clearly put this man through a traumatic experience and we are extremely sorry for that.”

The father-of-five was taken to hospital, where he was treated then discharged.

Explaining why he had not stopped, Colin, of Chorley, Lancashire, said at the time he feared the police were muggers.

“Obviously I am the perfect target and I carried on walking in the hope I would get away,” he said.

“This Taser could have killed me and if something happens to me a result of the shock I got, I hope the officer will be done for manslaughter.”

Colin has lodged a formal complaint and is taking legal action against the police.