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A police officer was punched in the head after disorder broke out in Shoreham on Saturday night (July 11).
Police at the scene in Shoreham town centre
Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which began at about 10.30pm.
Officers were initially called to reports of a young man causing damage to a car in Upper Shoreham Road, said Sussex Police.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Two police officers attended but when they attempted to arrest the suspect, they were pushed to the floor and assaulted by a large group of youths – with one female officer punched to the head.”
Additional police units were deployed to High Street and Shoreham Footbridge, where police say the disorder was centred.
13 people arrested over violence in Shoreham town centre
Fifteen people were arrested for offences including assaulting an emergency worker and violent disorder.
Of these, Sussex Police say 13 were juveniles aged between 14 and 17 years old. They all remain in police custody at this time.
Chief Inspector Nick Bowman said: “This behaviour, and the violence towards police officers going about their duty, is totally unacceptable and we are appealing for any independent witnesses to come forward.
“Fortunately, our officers did not suffer any serious injuries in the incident, but we will not tolerate attacks such as this on emergency workers.
“Everyone, including parents and guardians, has a responsibility to ensure children and young people are following the current guidelines, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We have issued a Section 34 dispersal order for Shoreham town centre, to run until 00:00 on Monday (July 13), and this will allow officers to move along large groups of people to prevent any further disorder in this area.
“We are keen to hear from anyone who saw the incident, in particular anyone who may have any video footage on their mobile phones.”
Anyone with any information can contact police online or by calling 101 quoting serial 1690 of 11/07.
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