Attack on South Yorkshire police officers condemned

Two police officers were assaulted in Barnsley in the early hours of Tuesday while patrolling the Monk Bretton area of the town.

They were attacked on Lamb Lane while attempting to talk to a man seen driving erratically in the area.

One officer’s head was forced to the ground and another officer was struck in her face during the incident.

A 32-year-old man from Barnsley was arrested on suspicion of assaulting emergency services workers, as well as driving offences.

Steve Kent, chairman of the South Yorkshire branch of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, condemned the attack.

He said: “Absolutely appalling. An unfortunate typical illustration of the dangers our officers face every day.

“Hopefully the officers will recover quickly and the person responsible will be dealt with as robustly as possible.”