A police officer has been accused of colluding with colleagues to arrest a young protester on "false grounds" during a student fees demonstration last year.

The police watchdog said it was investigating the "serious allegation" that an officer abused his position after a 20-year-old breached a police cordon during the high-profile demonstrations in Parliament Square in December.

According to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), the student attended the demonstrations in Parliament Square on Thursday 9 December 2010. He broke through police lines and was chased and caught by an officer.

The police officer was wearing sound-recording equipment, which recorded the chase and detention as well as a subsequent conversation between the officer and a number of colleagues.

The investigation will look at an allegation that the officers conspired to falsely arrest the 20-year-old, as well as how he sustained a chipped tooth.

Three officers have been served with notices advising them they are being investigated for alleged criminal and gross misconduct matters.

Rachel Cerfontyne, commissioner at the IPCC, said: "We are investigating a serious allegation that an officer colluded with colleagues to abuse his position by arresting a young man on false grounds. We will also be looking at the circumstances of how the man suffered a broken tooth during his detention."

Tens of thousands of young people took to the streets in a series of demonstrations at the end of last year to voice their opposition to the government's plans to raise university tuition fees and cut funding for post-16 education.