Police officers bitten, punched, kicked and spat at in series of incidents across Lancashire

The first incident occurred at around 9.50pm on Friday, September 2 following reports of a public order incident at a holiday park in Lancaster.

Three officers attended and during arrest attempts one was bitten, punched and kicked, one was spat at, scratched and bitten and a third was held down by his neck and punched repeatedly.

A man was arrested at the scene and Paul Livesey, 50, from Moorfield Avenue, Denton, has since been charged with six counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

He was due to appear at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 5.

The second incident occurred less than half an hour later, when police were called to an address on Sandylands Promenade in Heysham following reports of a concern for welfare.

While at the address a student officer was punched several times.

He was taken to hospital but thankfully was not seriously hurt.

A 43-year-old man from Heysham was arrested at the scene and Lee Jephcott, 43, of Sandylands Promenade, has since been charged with assaulting a police officer.

He is due to appear at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court on October 12.

The third incident occurred at around 3.10am on Saturday morning while an officer was carrying out a routine stop in Blackpool on suspicion of drugs offences.

The man resisted arrest and the PC suffered an arm injury in the process.

Reece Cardwell, 26, of Branstree Road, Blackpool, has since been charged with possession of class A drugs, possession of an offensive weapon and resisting arrest.

He is due to appear at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court on September 30.

Ch Supt Karen Edwards, of Lancashire Police’s West Division, said: “Assaults on emergency services workers are totally unacceptable and these incidents show the dangers that officers face every single day.

“It should not be seen as simply part of the job and we will continue to seek the prosecution of anyone who assaults our staff and, more importantly, will support our officers and staff if they are assaulted.

“The physical and mental scars of such incidents can last a lifetime and we will not stand for our officers being treated in this way.”