Dorset Police officer punched in face during Weymouth protests

A police officer has been punched in the face during protests in Weymouth.

The two protests took place along the Esplanade in Weymouth yesterday afternoon and evening (Sunday 4 August).

Police officers from Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire were sent to the area to make sure the demonstrations were safe and legal.

However, two Dorset Police officers were injured during the protests. One was hit in the face by a bottle thrown at officers and another was punched to the face.

Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Callaghan, said: “We have been liaising with the organisers of both groups in the build up to the event to ensure people can exercise their right to protest without causing significant or ongoing disruption.

“There were rumours circulating that asylum seekers currently housed on the Bibby Stockholm would be moved to Portland, Weymouth or the wider Dorset Council area but the Home Office have confirmed this is not the case. In addition, there are no asylum seekers housed in hotels in the Weymouth area.

“Our approach to this operation was to enable peaceful protests, but if people were intent on committing public order or criminal offences, they would be dealt with robustly as such behaviours would not be tolerated and this is the style of policing that we have delivered and what our communities expect.

“I am disappointed that two of our officers were sadly injured during the operation – one was hit in the face by a bottle thrown at our officers and another was punched to the face. We will be reviewing evidence to bring the offenders of these two incidents to justice.

“Local residents spoke positively to our officers deployed in the area, praising their professionalism during the protests and I would like to thank those who positively engaged with our teams. I would like to extend my thanks to those officers and our wider teams who have maintained our response to communities across the county.

“I am incredibly proud of how our officers and staff have ensured we continue to deliver a safe Dorset while ensuring our communities are safe and feel safe.”

Three people were arrested during the protests including a 27-year-old man from Weymouth who was arrested for assault.

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