A MAN in his 40s has been charged following an incident in which a police officer was seriously assaulted after he was dragged to the floor and thrown down a flight of stairs.

Police officers from Durham Constabulary were called to Aycliffe Village shortly after 9.30pm on Saturday (February 26) following concerns for the welfare of a man.

While at the scene, one of the attending officers was allegedly dragged to the floor, kneed in the head, and thrown down a flight of stairs by a man who was unconnected to the original welfare call.

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In the incident, the officer is alleged to have sustained serious injuries and had to be taken to hospital. He is currently recovering at home.

A 48-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and taken into police custody.

He has since been charged with affray and assault and remanded in custody to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court today (February 28).

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In the aftermath of the emergency service assault, Inspector Sarah Honeyman, from Newton Aycliffe Neighbourhood Police Team, has called the incident “isolated,” but has condemned the attack on one of her officers.

She said: “While this incident resulted in a significant police presence in Aycliffe Village on Saturday night, it was an isolated incident and did not involve members of the public.

“Attacks on police officers are completely unacceptable – nobody deserves to be assaulted while doing their job. The officer involved was taken to hospital following the incident and is now recovering at home.”

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