A PAIR of teenage girls who attacked police officers have been punished by the courts.

Earlier this year, police responded to a report of a racially aggravated public order incident in the Hardwick area of Stockton.

Upon police arrival, two girls aged 14 and 16 at the time, attacked three officers.

One of them head-butted a male officer causing a bust lip.

Both youths went on to kick, punch and try to bite the officers whilst resisting arrest.

The youths appeared at court earlier this month where they pleaded guilty to the offences.

One girl was convicted of two counts of assault by beating an emergency worker and was sentenced to a youth offending supervision order and told to pay £150 compensation.

The second girl was convicted of racially aggravated public order and three counts of assault by beating an emergency worker.

She was given a nine-month youth offending order and told to pay £200 compensation.

Cleveland Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Graham said: “Our officers put their lives at risk every day to protect people in our communities. They do not deserve to come to work to be abused or assaulted when carrying out their duties.

“The injury one of our officers has suffered is disgraceful and the force will not tolerate this level of abuse towards our colleagues under any circumstances.

“I would like to thank the officers involved in this incident for their commitment and dedication to serving the public. They are the ones who protect vulnerable people, prevent and detect crime and bring offenders to justice, they deserve the utmost respect.”

“The injury one of our officers has suffered is disgraceful and the force will not tolerate this level of abuse towards our colleagues under any circumstances."