Seven police officers assaulted in North Wales over Bank Holiday weekend

Officers across the region were assaulted seven times over the Bank Holiday weekend – including an incident in the Flintshire area.

Police say there were also incidents in Caernarfon, Bangor, Bala and Wrexham; resulting in an officer having his eye gouged, whilst others were head butted, kicked, pushed and scratched.

Yesterday these assaults were discussed by senior officers, with representatives from the Police Federation. A specialist group is being established to review these assaults in detail, which will report to the Force Operations Committee.

Temporary Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard said the incidents were “completely unacceptable and very concerning”.

“Our officers are out there doing a demanding job, working hard to protect the most vulnerable and to keep people safe,” he continued.

“An assault of any kind should never be considered “part of the job”. Our officers get good training and equipment and we seek to ensure that welfare arrangements are readily available when they become victims of an assault.

“These attacks leave their mark physically and mentally on the officers and in some cases their families.

“Some of the assaults are very serious and we include impact statements on these assaults to ensure the courts are fully sighted on the effect on the officers and their families.

“I have today signed an impact statement on a serious assault an officer suffered, as I feel that as chief constable it is my duty to support my officers and highlight to the courts the effect of those injuries on our staff who are working hard to safeguard the public.”

Four people have been charged with five assaults on officers in Gwynedd, a further two offenders have been arrested in Wrexham and work continues to apprehend others suspected to be involved in the other incidents.

Police say that to improve the safety of officers the number of taser trained officers has increased to nearly 300 in local policing spread across the force area, with additional cover from our firearms officers.

Chief Constable Pritchard added: “What we want is to make sure that our officers are equipped to protect themselves as best they can and to feel confident out on duty on our streets.

“Tasers and also body worn video play an important part in this.”