A BRADFORD City player is threatening to take legal action against the police after being handcuffed in the street while his car was searched.

Ben Richards-Everton says he was held in handcuffs by police outside a parade of shops he had just visited near his mother’s home for almost 30 minutes.

He claims his black Range Rover was followed by police officers for 10 minutes as he reached the shop and he was then confronted by two officers once he had left the shore with a bottle of Prosecco in his hand.

The Bantams centre-back revealed the officers approached him saying they had intelligence that there were drugs and firearms inside his car.

He was then handcuffed in the street outside the shop as officers searched his vehicle.

His girlfriend filmed the incident, which took place in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, and also shows a Taser being produced by one of the officers, which he denies was meant in the direction of Richards-Everton.

The City star said: “It was just a horrible situation.

“Two police officers approached me, one had a Taser, the other had handcuffs. I was not aggressive whatsoever.

“I did not know if they would Taser me. I have a heart murmur.

“I came out of the shop with a bottle of Prosecco in my hand. They just approached me quite aggressively.

“The officer with the Taser became more aggressive. He said ‘put the bottle down’. He just started to shout. I think he had the Taser drawn for a reason.

“I got my girlfriend to start recording on the mobile phone for my own protection.

“They took me in cuffs to the other side of the road. They said they were going to search my vehicle. I was so confused.

“He said ‘calm down’, I was calm.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Ben Richard-Everton is handcuffed Ben Richard-Everton is handcuffed

“The officers said they had reason to believe I had firearms and drugs on me. I could not be further away from doing that. They searched the vehicle thoroughly.

“More police turned up. It was a shambles. It happened on a main road. There were other people around recording it.”

Mr Richards-Everton added he felt he was treated like a criminal during the incident. He said: “Looking back, I think they were stereotyping me.

It’s not acceptable for this to happen and I’m not playing the race card

“I have been stopped for speeding in the past, you just accept the punishment for that. However, I am older now, I’m 28, I feel stop and search was not needed.

“For me not to say anything after this would have been silly. I want to try to make sure this stops happening.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

“I did not get an apology at the time. I understand the police have a job to do. They should have said sorry afterwards, there was no remorse.

They treated me like a criminal. I don’t think that was on

“I grew up in that area. The shopkeeper that I went to, knows me. I apologised to the shopkeeper the next day for what happened.

“There is nothing dodgy about me, I have a clean record.

“They said it was the number plate, it had been cloned in the Huddersfield area. It was a white male they were looking for. I am not a white male.

“I just don’t think it was acceptable for something like that to happen."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Ben Richards-Everton, centre, in action for the Bantams last season. Picture: Thomas Gadd Ben Richards-Everton, centre, in action for the Bantams last season. Picture: Thomas Gadd

A West Midlands Police spokesman confirmed the incident, which took place last month, adding Mr Richards-Everton was released with no further action taken.

The police spokesman said: “Officers on patrol in Sutton Coldfield spotted a car which flagged up with warning markers for drugs and firearms.

“The car parked up and officers approached the driver in Walmsley Road just after 6pm on June 24.

“The driver was detained while officers carried out a search of the car.

“Nothing was found in the car and it’s now thought that the number plates, which sparked the suspicion, are cloned.

“The man was advised of the reason for the search and he was released with no further action.

“Given the intelligence around potential firearms one of the officers drew a Taser. It was put away shortly after without being used.”

Mr Richards-Everton’s experience comes after Bradford East MP Imran Hussain claimed stop and search was disproportionately used against members of the BAME communities.