The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said it was investigating the officer caught on camera earlier this week.

A decision will then be made on whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service and whether the officer involved should face disciplinary proceedings.

A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer was suspended on Thursday after the footage was shared widely on social media.

It showed an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him.

The officer was later filmed pepper-spraying another man before wrestling him to the ground.

Police said three of their officers had been assaulted in the incident, including a female constable who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.

Catherine Bates, IOPC regional director, said she had met with one of the men involved in the incident and his family, and will continue to update them and the police on the investigation.

MPs call for calm

The video sparked two nights of protests outside Rochdale Police Station and Manchester city centre.

In a press conference Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, called for calm, "particularly over the coming weekend".

He said he had visited Rochdale and met with around 40 community members who "spoke of the family's appeal for calm".

Mr Burnham said the people of Greater Manchester want "a process that is able to proceed on the basis of being fair to everyone"

He said people do not want "politicians without possession of the facts exploiting the situation for their own political agenda with zero regard for the effect on the ground in communities in Greater Manchester".

He added: "I want to finish by repeating the call for calm, particularly over the coming weekend.

"Things are now moving forward, the right steps are being taken and people's voices are being heard. It's in everyone's interest that from here we proceed with things in a measured and a peaceful way."

Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, said while there was "clearly deep concern", he warned against the issue being hijacked by extremists.

He pointed out that the family of the man who was kicked have also appealed for calm following the protests that saw demonstrators blocking tram lines and roads in Manchester, adding that "they have no political agenda".

Former Rochdale MP George Galloway said he knew the family who were involved well, and planned to visit their home on Friday afternoon.

Supporting calls for protests to remain peaceful, he said: "We don't want anything distracting from where the focus should now be, on the investigation and getting it speedily and properly completed."