Avon and Somerset Constabulary lost more than 550 working days in a single year because of assaults on their officers, new figures reveal.  Bath MP Don Foster said:

Violence against police officers is totally unacceptable. Police officers are clearly not being provided with the protection that they need to do their jobs. Current measures are clearly not effective enough as 566 days are lost because of attacks on Avon and Somerset Police officers. There must be zero tolerance on attacks, abuse and threats of violence and this means prosecuting the offenders and putting them through the courts. The Government must do more to ensure the safety of police officers in what is already a very challenging working environment.

The news follows a recent revelation that the force is missing out on £12million of funding.

Figures show that 34 forces lost a total of 15,338 officer working days due to assaults in the latest year for which figures are available. The figures were released in a written parliamentary answer from Policing Minister Vernon Coaker.