Fresh complaints have been made against police who arrested a group of bouncers on a stag night trip to a Brighton night club.

Two officers are already being investigated by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) over claims they used excessive force when making the arrests outside the Honeyclub on Brighton seafront.

Further complaints have now been made about the way some of the revellers were detained after they were arrested.

It has been confirmed the PCA's original investigation has stalled because the two officers central to the case are on sick leave.

A spokeswoman for the PCA confirmed: "New complaints have been made about the detention of those arrested outside the Honeyclub.

"We appealed for witnesses to come forward and as a result several people have been interviewed.

"Two officers we need to speak to are now on sick leave and we cannot continue to investigate the complaints as a whole until they return to work."

She could not say if the officers central to the new complaints are the two already under investigation.

The complaints were made after Ian Jackson, Wayne Howell, Simon Grimmer and Robert Cohen were cleared of violent disorder outside the club.

They were among a group which hired a coach and came to Brighton for the night .

The men, from Crawley and Horley, were accused of violence against the club's doormen and attacking police called to deal with the incident in March, 2001.

But during their trial they claimed they acted in self-defence because they believed they were under attack from club staff who they thought had a knife.

All four were cleared during a series of trials at Hove Crown Court last year which cost more than £1million.

Footage from police CCTV cameras of the incident were played to the jury during the final seven-week trial.

The court heard that an officer, identified as PC Darren Egan, allegedly hit Mr Jackson over the head with his baton. The blow caused a wound which needed 15 stitches and the jury heard it had opened the 6ft 8in former publican's head "like a watermelon".

Other officers, including one identified as PC David Lovett, were allegedly seen hitting members of the group with batons and kicking out at them as they retreated along the Lower Esplanade.

It is not known if these are the officers being investigated by the PCA as the watchdog nor police will reveal their identity.

At the end of the trial, Judge David Rennie called for an independent investigation into the behaviour of some of the officers.

The PCA launched an investigation into alleged excessive use of force by officers.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "The matter is being dealt with and it would not be right for us to comment."