Hackney McDonald's fight: Police Federation chief claims 'breakdown in society' after fracas involving officers

'We’ve become all-singing, all-dancing. At the same time our figures are dropping in terms of officers'

Police officers are operating amid a “breakdown in society” that has normalised violence against them, it has been claimed.

After two officers were assaulted as they arrested a man in a fast food restaurant – while video appeared to show one constable striking the prone suspect – London's Police Federation chief said attacks on police were increasing.

Ken Marsh also branded cuts to police budgets and other services “bonkers”.

The serving officer hit out at the criminal justice system and claimed punishments for attacks on police officers were not strong enough, after footage emerged of two officers being kicked and heckled by a “hostile crowd” as they tried to detain a man for fighting customers at a McDonald’s in Hackney on Monday night.

Hackney police admitted the officer who was captured on video apparently striking the man he was trying to arrest would have to “justify” any use of force. While it was not clear from the footage what prompted the constable’s reaction, it was at this point that the attack on the pair of officers began.

After a bystander aims a kick at the officers and another grabs at them, the left-most constable is heard to shout “Get the f*** off me, get the f*** away from me”, before he draws a Taser. The Independent understands the stun gun was not discharged.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Mr Marsh laid out several factors he thought had contributed to the ugly scenes.

He said: “I think there is a lack of sentencing and strength of action that’s taken against police when they are assaulted. I’ve openly heard judges say in court, ‘You should expect it, you’re a police officer’.

“When you start hearing things like that then there is a complete breakdown in society.”

Mr Marsh, who represents rank and file officers from across the capital, said it appeared there had been a change among a “small minority” of people in how they view the police.

“There is an element of people out there who just have no respect whatsoever and don’t care,” he said.

“They don’t care about their actions, don’t care how they behave and don’t care about the consequences and we are left to face that 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Budget cuts, falling police numbers and cuts to other services are contributing to the problem, Mr Marsh warned.

“Social workers go home at five o’clock and we are left to pick up the pieces, mental health patients are all thrown out on the streets and we are left to pick up the pieces,” he said.

“We’ve become all-singing, all-dancing. At the same time our figures are dropping in terms of officers and our financial bursary towards funding has gone down and down and down.

“The government have taken a billion pounds out of the Metropolitan Police budget in the last four years. It’s bonkers.”

Both officers were treated for injuries after Monday’s incident.

Acting borough commander Steve Johnson said Monday’s attack was “unacceptable, nasty incident” and the officers “were on the floor just trying to do their job”.

A 30-year-old man arrested for assault on police has since been released under investigation.

Speaking to The Independent on Tuesday, Mr Marsh also warned of the dangers of judging police actions through a potentially one-sided view on social media. “If you’re starting a jury by media, you’ve got a massive problem in society,” he said.

He added that “we’re completely answerable for our actions, that’s how it should be”, but said “it’s very easy for members of the public to take videos and film of an incident to portray it in any way they want to”.

Additional reporting by PA