A violent thief was pinned to the ground by police after an alleged assault on a woman community support officer in the street.

Dozens of officers swooped on Bradford city centre after the PCSO radioed for emergency help.

She was attacked in Market Street after removing a man from a bank.

At least eight police vehicles, including cars, vans and a video van, descended on Market Street at the height of the incident at lunchtime today.

The man was arrested and frogmarched to a police vehicle.

The drama happened just after 1pm when the man was approached by shop staff who suspected him of stealing. He became aggressive and left the shop but was detained nearby by the PCSO.

A witness, working at a medical examination centre on Hustlergate, described how three officers detained the suspect outside.

She said: “We heard a lot of noise and looked outside and saw a huge crowd forming.

“I could see a woman PCSO on top of a chubby Asian chap. She was holding his legs down and two other male officers were sitting on his torso. He was struggling, but they got him to his feet and walked him away with his arms behind his back to a police van in Market Street.”

Another witness said: “There were suddenly police officers everywhere and loads of sirens. It sounded like the signal for the end of the world. Officers were streaming in all directions into streets in the centre. They were running like mad, there were dozens of them. I didn’t know there were so many police in Bradford.”

A police spokesman said that a man had walked into Superdrug on Bank Street and was approached by staff, who suspected him of theft.

The man became became aggressive and then left the shop and headed into a bank on Market Street, believed to be the NatWest, where he was apprehended by a PCSO and removed from the bank.

The spokesman said: “He was still acting aggressively as he was removed, and then assaulted the PCSO, who called for emergency assistance.

“The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and assaulting an officer and is currently in custody.”

The officer received minor injuries and it is understood no weapon was used.