A campaign calling for harsher sentences for those who assault police officers and other emergency service workers has received cross-party support in Parliament.

The ‘Protect The Protectors’ campaign was launched on Monday (6 February) by the Police Federation of England and Wales after growing concern about the rising numbers of attacks on police officers.

On Tuesday Halifax MP Holly Lynch (Labour), who is championing the campaign, introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill on assaults on emergency services staff in the House of Commons.

The bill calls for assaults against emergency service workers – ‘a constable, firefighter, doctor, paramedic or nurse’ – to become a specific offence.

Ms Lynch also called for those offenders who spit at emergency responders be required to have a blood test, and make it an offence if they refuse, so that officers know if they are at risk of contracting life-threatening diseases.

Jim Mallen, chairman of Bedfordshire Police Federation, has welcomed the move and says it should bring a change in the law to give better protection for police officers, and other emergency service workers.

“Each and every day police officers put themselves in dangerous situations to help others as they protect and serve their communities,” he said.

“Yet as they do so they are all too often assaulted by members of the public who increasingly seem to think it is OK to assault police officers, police staff or other emergency service personnel such as paramedics and ambulance men and women.

“We cannot allow this to continue. It is totally unacceptable and it is time that police officers were offered better protection so that they can go about their duties without fear of being attacked.”

The Halifax MP spoke about her work with blue light officers including West Midlands PCs Mike Bruce and Al O’Shea who had blood spat in their faces while trying to arrest a violent offender.

Because the offender refused to give a blood sample, both had to undergo anti-viral treatments to reduce their risk of contracting communicable diseases, and they faced an agonising six-month wait to find out whether the treatment had been successful.

She told MPs: “Behind the uniforms are incredibly brave and dedicated individuals who, regrettably, face risks that they simply should not have to face on an almost daily basis. They routinely go above and beyond their duties to keep the public safe, yet when someone sets out deliberately to injure or assault an emergency responder, the laws in place must convey how unacceptable that is in the strongest possible terms.”

And she added: “To assault a police officer is to show a complete disregard for law and order, our shared values and democracy itself, and that must be reflected in sentencing, particularly for those who are repeat offenders.

“Many officers described feeling like they had suffered an injustice twice - first at the hands of the offender; and then again in court when sentences were unduly lenient.”

There were cheers in the chamber when she told the House that laws in Australia mean that offenders who spit and refuse to have a blood test can receive a $12,000 (£7,320) fine and a custodial sentence.

After the bill, PFEW representatives, including vice chair Calum Macleod, West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Nick Smart and West Midlands Police Federation interim chairman Tom Cuddeford, met with MPs to discuss the aims of the campaign and seek further support.

Mr Macleod said: “We are grateful to Holly for giving her support to police officers, and other emergency service workers, who are all too often getting assaulted in the line of duty. We do not believe that being hit, kicked, spat at or shoved is ‘just part of the job’ and we are delighted the bill passed its first reading. It was great to see it get support from all sides of the house.”

The bill will be read for a second time in the House on 24 March.

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