ELEVEN police officers were assaulted in Hampshire in just two days.

The shocking statistics have been revealed by Hampshire Police Federation chairman John Apter as part of his campaign highlighting the prevalence of attacks on officers.

Mr Apter said frontline police were routinely facing violence and that the true picture was being hugely underestimated because of the way assaults were being recorded.

He is calling for the Government to specifically collate police assault data in a bid to expose the plight of serving officers. 

The 11 assaults occurred in separate incidents across the force area on Saturday and Sunday.

He said: “There has been an acceptance that a police officer being assaulted was part of the job and that they just had to get on with it and that is not good in my mind.”

More police should be trained to use a Taser effectively and professionally. Officers should also double up while on patrol to protect officers’ safety - although Mr Apter said cutbacks were curtailing their ability to do this.

He added that mental health support should also stepped up for frontline police who have been attacked or exposed to traumatic events.

The Hampshire Police Federation represents hundreds of rank and file officers across the county.