Black motorist Harold McFarlane, who accused police of stopping him in his sporty car more than 20 times in two years, said today he was no longer suffering "harassment".

And he thanked the Oxford Mail for highlighting his case earlier this year. "I have thankfully not been stopped by the police in my car since the case was brought to light in the local press," he said.

In March, a case brought against 33-year-old Mr McFarlane, of Emperor Gardens, Greater Leys, at Oxford Magistrates' Court was dropped when a police officer failed to attend the hearing. Mr McFarlane snapped when officers stopped him in his Vauxhall Calibra on December 4 last year and drove off. He was charged with threatening behaviour, and the offence was later reduced to obstructing officers.

After the charge against him was dropped, he made an official complaint to Thames Valley Police, who would not comment until the complaint has been fully investigated. It has been referred to the Police Complaints Authority.

While the father-of-three waits for the outcome of his case, he is backing a Blackbird Leys-based group called Cairo (the Campaign Against Institutional Racism in Oxford). The group will be holding a workshop on policing on November 14, from 3pm to 6pm, in the Blackbird Leys precinct of the Oxford College of Further Education.

Mr McFarlane said: "I am waiting to see what the Police Complaints Authority's decision is. I feel that an organisation like Cairo is vital to stop other black people in Oxford having to go through what I experienced."

Speakers at the meeting on November 14 include those from the London-based Newham Monitoring Group, the Black Racial Attacks Incident Network and a speaker from the newly set up Law Centre in Oxford. Call 01865 316698 for details.

Story date: Monday 01 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.