Woman followed by police says officer said she 'looked like a drug dealer'

A boxer claims she was pursued by police before having a taser pointed in her face while riding to her mum's house after training.

Charlotte Powell - who alleges an officer said she 'looked like a drug dealer' - says she injured her face and shoulder after losing control of her pedal assist bike when police began 'following her'.

The 25-year-old, who is due to fight in Manchester in November, was making her way home after training at around 11.40am on Thursday, September 19.

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She was riding down Priory Road before making her way down Townsend Lane then Pinehurst Avenue in north Liverpool at the time. Charlotte claims to not have initially noticed the police car behind her before then realising as she turned onto Pinehurst Avenue, Clubmoor, where her mum lives.

As she travelled down Pinehurst Avenue, she said she crossed onto the wrong side of the road as she made her way onto Westcombe Road but came off her bike as she turned the corner. While on the floor on the corner of Pinehurst Avenue and Westcombe Road, Charlotte claims an officer "ran towards her holding a taser."

Charlotte, who is due to fight Emma Ruegg for the Commonwealth silver super flyweight title on Saturday, November 16, in Manchester, told the ECHO: "I was riding home from the gym on the Thursday morning and I had my Beats [headphones] over my ears and had a hat on. I noticed the police car and before I knew it they started following me and I've come off my bike.

"As I'm lying there I can see this police officer running at me over the grass verge on Pinehurst Avenue with something yellow in his hand. I'm lying there thinking