Staggering rise in assaults on Harrogate police officers since lockdown began

Assaults on police officers and staff have risen by almost 60 per cent during lockdown.

In Harrogate, incidents have included officers being bitten, grabbed by the throat, kicked in the head, and repeatedly kicked in the chest.

Also in Harrogate, an officer was also bitten and spat at and another needed hospital treatment after being kicked in the nose.

North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lisa Winward said the attacks were “sickening and wrong."

She vowed that anyone who assaults a North Yorkshire Police worker will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.

The chief constable said: “Throughout the pandemic, officers and staff across the force have been showing a level of commitment, diligence and professionalism that is nothing short of incredible.

“Some colleagues have made significant personal sacrifices so they can continue to serve the public, such as not living with their families.

“Many have put their own anxieties aside, as they face difficult or potentially dangerous situations head-on.

“All have stepped up to the mark to help deliver an exceptional level of policing, right across North Yorkshire.

“So these assaults reflect a deplorable attitude to those who are making a great sacrifice to serve their communities.

“As well as being hugely distressing for the victims, they are also damaging to communities who are appalled by the warped mindset of those who attack people that work so hard to keep others safe.

“We absolutely cannot, and will not, tolerate that. It’s sickening and it’s wrong.

“If you assault an emergency services worker, you will be dealt with robustly to the full extent of the law. It’s that simple.”

Since late March, 87 assaults against North Yorkshire Police officers and staff have been reported.

During the same period in 2019, the number was 55 - a rise of 58 per cent.

In the last month alone, there have been 21 reported offences.

Six officers were punched in the face during different incidents, with at least two suffering black eyes and facial swelling.

An officer’s hand was bitten, and two other officers were bitten on the knee.

An officer was kicked in the side of his head and an officer had to attend hospital for tests after someone spat in their eye.

Several other officers were spat on, an officer was headbutted in her nose, and another officer was stabbed in the hand with a pen in a custody suite.

In January, the Harrogate Advertiser reported a spate of attacks which saw Harrogate police officers punched, threatened and left with broken bones.

A man was charged with assault after an officer was punched in the face and suffered a fractured cheekbone.

In the same week, two officers acting as good Samaritans for a drunk man they found in Harrogate town centre ended up being assaulted by him.

He became violent and attacked the officers, breaking one’s finger and punching the other in the face.

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

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