Sarane Allen and son Bruce from a previous relationship Picture Ref: 29920-33A PROBE into the death of a man in custody at Westlea police station revealed police breached their own guidelines several times.

The revelation was made during the first day of an inquest into the death of Colin Holcombe.

After the 50-year-old died in December 2003, an inquiry was carried out by the Police Complaints Commission in conjunction with Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Summarising the evidence to be heard during the two-week hearing in Trowbridge, Wiltshire coroner David Masters said the report indicated 'a number' of breaches of police practice.

These centred around the way officers are meant to deal with prisoners who are drunk.

For example, guidelines say checks must be carried out every half an hour.

Full details of the report will emerge over the next few days.

On the last day of the hearing, Wiltshire's Assistant Chief Constable Peter Vaughan will be called to hear recommendations from the inquiry.

Mr Holcombe a digger driver of Lansdown Road, Faringdon was arrested for attacking his estranged wife, Sarane Allen, who was present during the hearing.

The two had split up several months earlier, but remained friends.

They went out to a pub on December 27 and Mr Holcombe got considerably drunk.

Things turned nasty at the end of the evening at Ms Allen's home in Buckhurst Crescent, Walcot.

The inquest heard she was subjected to 'a number of violent physical assaults'.

Her injuries were so severe she was taken to the Great Western Hospital.

Meanwhile, Mr Holcombe was arrested and taken to Westlea.

He was drunk and obstructive, and needed to be moved to another cell after urinating on the floor.

The following morning, he complained about a sore throat, and said he was having difficulties breathing.

An on-call police surgeon Dr Harbans Popli was called.

He arrived to find Mr Holcombe was going blue in the face from lack of oxygen, and he collapsed.

Custody officers and Dr Popli performed emergency first aid treatment, which included the use of a defibrillator.

An ambulance was called and an adrenaline injection given.

All efforts failed, however, and Mr Holcombe was pronounced dead.

Mr Masters said there was no indication that the medical treatment was "anything but reasonable and proper".

A post mortem inquiry found he died from an infection which caused his throat to swell, blocking the airway.

Tamash Lal