Pair arrested in Colchester after police officers strangled

Essex Police says the officers were taken to hospital after they were assaulted in Colchester

A man and boy have been arrested after two police officers were "assaulted and strangled", one losing consciousness.

Essex Police said the officers were attacked at about 22:30 GMT on Saturday while responding to reports of an incident involving three people in North Station Road, Colchester.

It was reported that two men were assaulting a third man.

A 37-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

The pair were also held on suspicion of intentional strangulation.

It is thought that one of the officers lost consciousness after he was assaulted upon chasing the pair. When a second officer caught up with the suspects, he was "attacked and strangled from behind", police said.

The suspects were finally detained when additional officers were called to the scene. The injured officers were taken to hospital and have since been discharged.

Det Ch Insp Rob Huddleston said: "Policing is rightly scrutinised by the public, given the responsibility the role requires but very often what the public do not see is selfless, brave officers literally running towards danger to do their job.

"They do that all through the day, late at night and in the early hours of the morning so the rest of us don't have to. Their families expect to them to come home safely from their shift and last night, there were two very worried families."

Anyone with information is asked to call 101.