A KIDDERMINSTER police officer has spoken out as part of a campaign against assaults on police, after he was injured when a sports car driver attempted to run him over.

PC Jon Townsend, who is based at Kidderminster police station, was called out to a suspicious incident in the town in 2013 when a man was seen in a high powered sports car, which seemed unusual.

As he pulled up behind the car and started doing normal police checks, the driver reversed, ramming the police van. Jon and his colleague got out of the van and then smashed the window of the car to try and gain entry. He came face to face with the driver, who continued to reverse.

Jon was trapped against the car as the offender drove him into the side of the police van.

He fell to the floor, injured with a dislocated knee and the driver then drove at him. Jon managed to roll out of the way with the tyres narrowly missing his head.

The driver continued to drive the car into a building, with Jon's colleague still inside.

Jon got back up and hobbled across as other colleagues arrived, and the driver was arrested. The man was later jailed for the assault and for his part in an armed robbery.

PC Townsend said: "I'd only recently made the move from PCSO to police officer, and this incident knocked my confidence massively. However, from the support of my team, support of members of staff and members of occupational health, I was brought through it.

"I had to have quite a lot of counselling and therapy as well, but even though it was a very steep learning curve, it's made me the person I am now.

"I'm proud to still be a police officer and still be able to work to serve our communities."

He added: "If nothing else, just remember that I have got a family that I would like to go back to, and a family that I am trying to look after even though I am working, in terms of having wages and being able to buy things for my little children.

"We are human, just like everybody else, and we have a job to do."

PC Townsend has spoken out as part of West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion's Behind the Badge campaign. Latest figures show there were 182 separate assaults affecting officers and staff from West Mercia between July and September 2017, up 10 per cent on the 166 incidents recorded during the previous three months.

Mr Campion said: "Violence against police, or any emergency services workers is never acceptable. It is important the people can recognise the long lasting impact that assaults have, and that negative behaviour displayed by a minority is challenged."