Man to appear in court after headbutting police officer and being caught with drugs in Ryton-on-Dunsmore

A 31-year-old man has been charged after allegedly headbutting a police officer during a traffic stop in Ryton-on-Dunsmore.

The attack happened on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 14, when a police officer pulled over Alan Statham on High Street.

The man also failed to provide a specimen and was found to be in possession of cannabis.

As a result, Statham, of William Iliffe Street in Hinckley, is charged with assaulting an emergency worker, failing to provide a specimen and possession of cannabis.

He will appear at Warwickshire Magistrates’ Court on September 21.

On July 6 one of Warwickshire's most senior police officers warned the public that any attacks on police officers would be responded to with the full force of the law.

Ben Smith, head of local policing, previously said: “As police officers we accept we will be asked to put ourselves in harm’s way to protect the public. This doesn’t mean we expect to be targeted with violence and abuse.

“Most have families who they say goodbye to before every shift not knowing what they are going to face over the coming hours.

"Like everyone else they have a right to work in a safe environment and should know they can return to their families safe and uninjured at the end of a shift.

“Where people think it is acceptable to be violent towards officers we will look to use the full force of the law to bring them to justice.”

This followed a series of drunken attacks on officers across the county on the weekend of July 4-5.