Police officer knocked unconscious in ‘unprovoked attack’ before England match

Four men arrested after PC approached from behind and hit on head

Four men have been arrested the attack before England’s Nations League match against Hungary (Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters)

A police officer was knocked unconscious in an “unprovoked attack” before England’s Nations League match against Hungary in Molineux.

The officer was approached from behind by a group of men before being hit on the side of the head, West Midlands Police said.

The PC was behind Molineux Stadium’s Stan Cullis stand at about 7.25pm on Tuesday when he was attacked.

Four men - aged 18, 19, 20 and 21 - were arrested nearby on suspicion of assault and remain in police custody for questioning.

The officer was taken to hospital after sustaining “significant cuts and bruising” to his head, police said in an update on Wednesday morning.

He has since been discharged and sent home to recover while awaiting further test results.

Police are examining body-worn footage and CCTV and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Inspector Kate Longbottom asked anyone who witnessed the assault to get in touch “as a matter of urgency”.

She said: “We’ve spoken to some witnesses but potentially many more people were in the area and saw what happened or the offenders running off.

“We really need to speak to them as they could have important information; I would ask them to get in touch as a matter of urgency.

“There was a good atmosphere in the build-up to the game, high spirits and lots of families enjoying the occasion. That’s what made this assault even more shocking as it appears to have been totally unprovoked.”

Chief Superintendent Sarah Burton added: “Completely unacceptable behaviour this evening towards one of my officers just doing his job to keep all fans safe. If you witnessed this incident or have any footage on your phone please get in touch with us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police via the live chat function on the force’s website or by calling 101 quoting log 1554 from 14 June.