A former detective has lost his negligence claim against Thames Valley Police after a judge ruled an injury he received on a training course was "simply an unfortunate accident".

William Crickett said the case called into questioned the quality of police training and recommended methods of restraining violent suspects. Mr Crickett, 45, claimed damages for a shoulder injury received during a police training course at Upper Heyford, on handcuffing and restraint techniques.

Mr Crickett was a detective constable investigating a kidnapping incident as part of the Serious Crimes Squad, based at Thame, when he was asked to attend the course in September 1998.

He claimed an instructor demonstrating the "ground-pin" restraint inflicted the injury by kneeling on his shoulder and moving his arm outside its normal arc while telling him to get up.

Giving judgement at Oxford County Court, Judge Charles Harris said physical training necessarily involved risk.

He said: "It was simply an unfortunate training accident for which no one was to blame."

He ordered Mr Crickett, who retired on medical grounds in 2000, to pay Thames Valley's legal costs in the case.