Man filmed pushing female police officer onto train tracks sentenced to 30 months in prison

The 32-year-old man also racially abused a member of rail staff in Manchester

(British Transport Police)

A Cheshire man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after pushing a female police officer onto the train tracks at Manchester Oxford Road station.

CCTV video from February shows 32-year-old Kevin Phythian grappling with the officer, who was trying to arrest him after he had run across live tracks onto the platform. The woman is pushed backwards onto the tracks by Phythian, who then tries to run away to evade arrest.

With the officer lying unconscious on the tracks, a station supervisor - who is also assaulted by Phythian as he attempts to get away - uses an emergency phone to stop all trains so that the female officer is not hit.

Police revealed that she sustained a cut to the back of her head, a broken finger and bruising to her arm.

As well as assaulting the officer and the station supervisor, Phythian had earlier racially-abused a member of rail staff at Oxford Road.

Detective Constable Mike Dermody said: "No officer should have to endure such violence when they are simply carrying out their job, and putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.

"This was an unprovoked attack on a police officer working in the line of duty and trying to detain a suspect. Violence against our officers and rail staff will not be tolerated, and we will seek to have them dealt with swiftly by the courts."

Phythian was sentenced to 30 months in prison in total: 18 months for aggravated bodily harm, six months for endangering rail safety, three months for racially-aggravated public order and three months for common assault.