Footage allegedly showing police pulling student fees protester from his wheelchair guardian.co.uk

Police launched an internal investigation last night after footage emerged of a man allegedly being pulled out of his wheelchair and dragged across the road by an officer during Thursday's demonstration.

The grainy video, which was posted on YouTube, does not show the moment Jody McIntyre leaves his wheelchair but appears to show the 21-year-old being dragged to the side of the road by an officer as onlookers voice their concerns.

McIntyre said it was the second time police had pulled him from his wheelchair during the protest. He said in the first incident several officers lifted him from his chair and carried him 100 yards "for his own safety".

"This time I was in the middle of the street and I saw an officer from the earlier incident coming running over and tip the chair over and drag me from the middle of the road to the side of the road before he was restrained by colleagues," he said.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police service said that although no complaint had been received it had launched an investigation: "As a result of media coverage, the MPS [Metropolitan police service] directorate of professional standards is investigating the circumstances surrounding this matter."

McIntyre said he was talking to his solicitor and expected to lodge a formal complaint this week.

There has been mounting pressure on Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson after footage emerged showing an officer policing Thursday's student protests not wearing identification.

Following the G20 protests last year, during which Ian Tomlinson died after being pushed to the ground by a police officer not wearing ID, Stephenson said it was "absolutely unacceptable" for officers to cover or remove their shoulder tags bearing identification numbers. However, a video taken by one of the protesters at Thursday's London demonstration clearly shows an officer not displaying her ID.

Keith Vaz, chair of the home affairs select committee, is expected to raise the issue with home secretary Theresa May today at the select committee.

The footage emerged as reports said Stephenson had offered to resign in the wake of this week's protests, with the Met heavily criticised after a protester required brain surgery after allegedly being struck by a police baton. Protesters had also attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

May yesterday told the House of Commons that 35 people had been arrested so far and she expected the number to rise significantly. So far the mugshots of 14 "key perpetrators of violence" have been published. The Met are to continue to publish pictures of other key individuals over the next week.