This is Colin Farmer from Lancashire in the UK...

... and this is the visual aid stick that police mistakenly thought was a samurai sword, which prompted them to taser the blind 61-year-old - as he was making his way to a local pub.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) TASERED MAN COLIN FARMER SAYING:

"I started panicking and the next thing I know as I turned around, this, what could only have been a taser, hit me in the back. And it started sending all these thousands of volts through me and I was terrified. Having had two strokes already, caused by stress, when these volts were going through me, I dropped the stick, involuntarily, and I collapsed."

Police have apologised and while Farmer has yet to decide whether to take the matter further, he is struggling to understand why there was a need for such force in the situation.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) TASERED MAN COLIN FARMER SAYING:

"(When) I'm in a vulnerable position with my face down, he (police officer) jumped on my back with his knees, in the middle of my back, forced my head further into the stones, grabbed my arms around - I don't even know why he's doing this to me - he grabbed my arm around, I'm saying "I'm blind, I'm blind" and he roughly cuffed me."

Police say Farmer was mistaken for a man reportedly carrying a samurai sword.

The incident has been referred to Britain's Independent Police Complaints Commission.