A POLICE officer convicted of assaulting two prisoners but later cleared on appeal has been sacked by his force.

PC Paul Ions had his convictions for assault quashed by a court.

But last night, Cleveland Police said that he had been found guilty at a disciplinary hearing of bringing the force into disrepute and was dismissed with immediate effect.

PC Ions, 29, of Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, was already suspended from his job at Stockton police station.

A Police Federation representative said PC Ions had a right to appeal, but was unable to confirm whether he planned to do so.

PC Ions was jailed for four months last November after being found guilty of kicking and punching teenager Adnan Asif and striking Paul Longstaff in the face. He denied the assaults, and was bailed after immediately launching an appeal.

Earlier this month, Judge Tony Briggs upheld the appeal at Teesside Crown Court.

PC Ions had been accused of swinging a "football-style kick" at Mr Asif at Stockton police station. The 19-year-old had been arrested after a drunken disturbance in the town in September 2003.

The appeal heard evidence from PC Sarah Longmire, who said she heard PC Ions tell a fellow officer: "Hold his head while I punch him."

But PC Ions claimed PC Longmire had an axe to grind against him after he criticised her performance.

PC Ions was also accused of hitting 23-year-old Mr Longstaff, who was being restrained by other police officers, at Hartlepool police station in October 2003.

He was said to have lost his temper after being struck by Mr Longstaff, but said he was under attack and was only defending himself.

Judge Briggs said that accounts of the attack on Mr Asif differed and it was neither "just nor right" to prefer one version of events.

He also said video footage of the attack on Mr Longstaff did not support the prosecution's claim that PC Ions had hit him in anger or retaliation.