Nine police officers injured in 'appalling' assaults

Supt Sinead McIldowney described the incidents as 'appalling'

Nine police officers have been assaulted in four separate incidents in the north west over the weekend.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers were kicked, punched, bitten and spat on during a senior officer described as three "appalling" incidents in Strabane, County Tyrone, and one in Londonderry.

Some of them were unable to finish their shifts as they needed medical treatment and five people have been arrested.

"To go to work and be assaulted should never be considered as part of the job," PSNI Supt Sinead McIldowney said.

'Bitten, spat on and punched'

"Our officers were assaulted when they were responding to calls for service," she said.

"They were helping people, trying to prevent people coming to harm, when they were kicked, verbally abused, bitten, spat on and punched.

"It is appalling."

Of the five arrests, one person has been charged to court, two people have been bailed pending further inquires and two others remain in police custody.

Supt McIldowney said work was ongoing to "support our officers so they are able to deal with these situations".

"Our ask is that the role of officers, the professionalism and restraint they show in what can be dangerous circumstances, and the work they do on a daily basis to keep people safe, is not taken for granted and that assaults on officers should never be seen as acceptable."