A woman rammed her car over a police bike because she thought she was about to be robbed.

Police entered a residential car park in St Mary’s, Southampton, and saw Katie Wellman receive cash from another man in her Renault Clio.

Believing that a drugs deal was taking place, PCs Charlie Buckingham and Adrian Lugg approached the 31-year-old’s car, which was parked off Coleman Street.

Wellman was being handed £10 by an acquaintance after she offered him a lift.

When she didn’t respond to the uniformed officers, who were on bicycles, they smashed her windows with their batons.

Believing that she was being attacked, Wellman, from Bitterne Road East, Southampton, drove forward, straight over PC Lugg’s bike.

Prosecutor Charles Parry told Southampton Crown Court: “PC Buckingham tapped on the near-side window in a bid to ask the driver to stop. The driver failed to do so. The driver was asked again to stop. It was clear that she was not going to do so.”

Representing Wellman, Guy Draper said that she thought she was under attack, panicked, and managed to escape.

Wellman then drove down St Mary Street and into Chapel Road.

She was later arrested.

After admitting careless driving a criminal damage, the single mother of one was given a two-year conditional discharge concurrent for each offence and was given five points on her provisional driving licence.