POLICE officers are being investigated on suspicion of assault and “non-fatal suffocation” after a man blacked out while being restrained.

A man in his mid-50s was arrested and taken to a hospital in Islington after trying to set light to himself in the street.

He became agitated in the unit where he was “incapacitated” with “PAVA spray” while a number of officers also tried to restrain him.

The man became unconscious during the restraint that left him in a critical condition.

Some of those officers are also being investigated for further potential offences including inflicting grievous bodily harm and non-fatal suffocation, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) that said it picked up the case after being contacted by the Met on the same day of the incident.

Superintendent Annmarie Cowley, from the Met’s Central North Command, said: “We appreciate this incident will be incredibly concerning to the public. Please know we are offering every assistance to the IOPC in their investigation and, due to their important ongoing work, will not be able to comment further at this time.”

Five officers, all police constables who are based in the Met’s Central North unit, are now under criminal investigation for the potential offence of common assault. They have been placed on restricted policing duties during the investigation.

A further three officers are being investigated for potential misconduct.

IOPC director Steve Noonan said: “The serving of criminal or conduct notices on officers does not necessarily mean that criminal charges or disciplinary proceedings will follow. It’s important that we continue to carry out an independent and thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident. Following our investigation, we will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service to make a charging decision and whether disciplinary proceedings are required.”