A GWENT Police officer was today jailed for a year after biting a reveller's lip during a row about queue jumping at a bar.

DC Stephen Smith, 33, flew into a rage as he queued to get into a packed bar to watch an England vs Wales rugby match.

Smith was outside Brewhouse in Cardiff city centre when a row was sparked between him and Jonathan Harris.

CCTV footage captured the moment Smith grabbed Mr Harris by the neck and pulled him towards his face and bit him.

The off-duty police officer can then be seen swinging his arm at Mr Harris before walking away with then-girlfriend Hannah Morgan.

A court heard medics said Mr Harris suffered injuries "caused by a human bite to the lower lip."

Smith, of Tredegar, was found to have no bite marks on his face.

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court found him guilty of unlawful wounding after a four day trial.

But they cleared Smith of wounding with intent and perverting the course of justice.

The court heard the incident took place before a televised Six Nations clash in Twickenham in March last year.

Smith claimed that Mr Harris was the aggressor and bit him first.

But when questioned, Mr Harris said: "I would never even think of biting someone.

"It's an absolutely disgusting thing to do. It's like spitting in someone's face".

Jailing him for 12 months at Merthyr Crown Court, Judge Richard Twomlow told him: "This was a serious incident."

Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman Deborah Rogers said: "Police officers are expected to protect the public and uphold justice regardless of the situations they find themselves in.

"However, in this instance Smith reacted in a way that led him to be arrested himself.

"The Crown Prosecution Service will apply the law with equal weight to anyone investigated regardless of their standing within the community."

Gwent Police's detective superintendent Ruth Price said: "Following the verdict of Detective Constable Stephen Smith an internal review will now be held by Gwent Police.

"At this stage it would be inappropriate to comment further until its conclusion."