Emergency services from across the South West have come together to highlight the trend in the number of assaults on their staff whilst on duty.

Police, ambulance, fire and health care staff are regularly subjected to attacks from those they are trying to help, including verbal abuse, spitting, biting and even sexual assault.

Last year alone in Devon and Cornwall, 492 police officers and staff were assaulted whilst on duty, including more than 60 cases of actually bodily harm.  So far in 2017, 416 police officers and staff have been assaulted, five leading to grievous bodily harm levels of injuries.

Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: ‘It is completely unacceptable that officers and staff from the police and other blue light services are being assaulted, bitten, kicked at and verbally abused whilst on duty.’