Prison sentences doubled for people who attack emergency service workers under new law

More than 26,000 assaults against police officers in England and Wales and 17,000 on NHS staff recorded in past year

(AFP/Getty)

People who attack the emergency services will be jailed for twice as long under a new law aiming to crackdown on the “national scandal” of abuse.

It will make it a criminal offence to assault workers including police, paramedics, firefighters, prison officers, search and rescue personnel and custody officers.

The current six-month maximum sentence for common assault will be doubled to a year for the new crime created by the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill, which has today been given royal assent.

It will also enable judges to increase terms given to people committed for a range of other crimes where the involvement of emergency services was an “aggravating factor”.

Chris Bryant MP, the Labour MP who started the law’s journey as a Private Members Bill, said: “The growing tide of attacks on emergency workers – including ambulance workers, NHS staff, fire officers, prison officers and police – is a national scandal. All too often attackers get away with little more than a slap on the wrist.

“I hope this new law will help put a stop to that attitude. An attack on an emergency worker is an attack on all of us and attackers should face the full force of the law. Now it is for the prosecuting authorities and the courts to play their part in putting a stop to the violence, so that emergency workers can get on doing their job in peace.”

The law, which builds on the previous offence of assaulting a police officer, also provides extra protection to unpaid volunteers who support the emergency services.

Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June (AFP/Getty Images)

Police leaders celebrated the change, which they hope will act as a deterrent.

Chief Constable Andy Rhodes, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on wellbeing, said: “Colleagues suffer, not only physical injuries, but the psychological effects. Many find the return to frontline duties after being assaulted, particularly challenging or traumatic.”

The Police Federation, which supported the proposals in its “protect the protectors” campaign, said it wanted higher prison sentences.

Chair John Apter said being attacked “must never be seen as part of the job and the sentences should be harsher”.

“Whilst we didn’t get everything that we wanted in this bill, it is a start and a significant improvement on what we had,” he added. “I hope this new law will act as a deterrent for those who think that it is acceptable to assault police officers or other emergency service workers and appropriately punish those who do.”

The Royal College of Nursing was among other associations campaigning for the law.

National officer Kim Sunley said it would cover workers including community and district nurses, and sexual assault, adding: “Physical assaults remain a fact of life for many healthcare workers, from A&E to community services. This bill is the first step towards changing that for good.”

Home Office figures show there were more than 26,000 assaults against police officers in England and Wales during 2017-18 and more than 17,000 on NHS staff, but the phenomenon is believed to be underreported.

Assaults on prison officers rose by 70 per cent in the three years to 2017, with an 18 per cent increase experienced by firefighters in the past two years.

The justice minister, Rory Stewart, said the incidents “represent violence against the public as a whole”.

“Every day these public servants do extraordinary work on our behalf, and they must be able to do it without the fear of being assaulted,” he added.

“Our message is clear - we will protect our emergency services and violence towards them will not be tolerated.”