A POLICE officer from Southall accused of planning a violent burglary in which the victim was sprayed with CS gas was found not guilty by an Old Bailey Jury last week.

PC Narinder Bargota, 34, was accused with his colleague PC James Shaw, 31, of getting three men to steal £80,000 cash from 50-year-old Bernadette Abbey at her home in Acton on August 7, 2000.

PC Bargota, from Southall, and Shaw, originally from Meltham, West Yorkshire, were both cleared by the jury of one charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and one charge of conspiracy to commit burglary between July 4 and August 8, 2000.

After a trial lasting nearly three weeks, the jury took just three hours to clear them of the charge.

PC Bargota and PC Shaw were said to have tipped-off three men about a stash of £80,000 at a west London flat from information they obtained from the police national computer. Both men had denied having anything to do with the raid.

The court heard that three men burst into Mrs Abbey's property and sprayed her with CS gas before demanding money.

After searching the west London flat the men fled empty-handed.

PC Bargota admitted that on several occasions he accessed police computers and intelligence files but he insisted it was to help extend his local knowledge of criminals and aid his police career.

PC Bargota and PC Shaw had become friends while working together at Hammersmith police station but at the time of the raid PC Bargota was serving with the Community Safety Section based at Hounslow, Middlesex.

A police spokesman said both men continue to be suspended from duty and disciplinary action will be considered in due course, as is standard procedure in cases such as these.