'They are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters': West Yorkshire Police chief constable tells court of the impact caused by rising number of attacks on officers

The figure was revealed at the sentencing of a man at Leeds Crown Court for biting an officer's thumb at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

Craig Dickinson was jailed over the incident in which West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable John Robins provided a statement to the court describing the impact of rising numbers of assaults on his officers.

The force's senior officer stated: "It is never acceptable to assume that assaults are in some way part of the job."

The statement also described how incidents impacted upon the force as a whole through officers being absent from work

Mr Robins also described how attacks also have an impact upon officers' families, stating: "They are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters. The offending effects them in the family setting."

Dickinson was locked up for 12 months over the attack on the officer on July 6 this year.

The 30-year-old defendant has six previous convictions for violence against police officers.

Carly Green, prosecuting, said police were alerted to an incident of two men fighting outside Marsh Way House, near to Wakefield city centre, at 6.35pm

Dickinson had no top on as he struggled with another man.

The defendant told the officers that he was annoyed because someone had been looking at his mobile phone.

Ms Green said Dickinson continued to get angry and upset as the officers tried to calm him down.

The officers restrained him and called an ambulance.

Dickinson continued to be aggressive when he was escorted to Pinderfields Hospital and refused to go inside.

He told officers he was refusing to go into the hospital because of the coronavirus pandemic and asked to be taken to Fieldhead Hospital so he could be sectioned.

They restrained Dickinson again when he began banging his head against a wall.

He bit one of the officers on the thumb during the struggle. The skin was not broken but he suffered bruising

Dickinson, of Arundel Close, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker.

A probation service reported stated that Dickinson's offending was linked to alcohol and drug abuse.

Sentencing, Recorder David Gordon said: "It was quite a disgusting thing to do.

"On average there are 37 assaults on West Yorkshire Police officers and staff every week.

"Each and every assault has an impact on the officer involved and policing generally.

"I would not be fulfilling my duty if I did not impose an immediate custodial sentence upon you."