Police sergeant punched, kicked, headbutted, spat at and hit with shopping trolley in random Northampton attack

A police sergeant was hit in the head with a shopping trolley during a random attack in Northampton, it has been reported.

The officer was also kicked, punched and and headbutted as he tried to arrest the woman in the St James area of the town at about 9.30pm on Saturday night.

Northamptonshire Police revealed the officer had "come across" a woman in the street who swung a shopping trolley at him, hitting him in the head.

A spokesman for the Force added "Two males attempted to intervene while the sergeant attempted to arrest the woman and during the struggle, the officer was kicked to the leg and also headbutted by the woman."

"Fortunately the officer was not seriously injured."

The woman continued her attack despite being sprayed with PAVA — an incapacitant similar to pepper spray.

Another officer, who answered a call for back-up, was spat by the attacker.

A 30-year-old female has since been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Assaults on his officers led to Chief Constable Nick Adderley's pledge in 2019 to give all Northamptonshire's police officers the option to carry Tazers in addtion to PAVA spray while on duty.

Mr Adderley said: "Many uninformed people assumed that I made my decision to issue Taser to every front-line officer, based on a couple of tragic cases at the time.

"We have seen the severity of assaults on our staff decrease already and a more confident workforce as a consequence. Knowing the force ‘has your back’ is one hell of a boost."