A KEIGHLEY police officer who was viciously attacked while attending an incident is playing a major part in a national campaign demanding tougher sentences for offenders.

PC Laura Gargett features in a video produced in support of the Protect the Protectors initiative, being spearheaded by the Police Federation of England and Wales.

She was set upon as she and a colleague responded to reports of a domestic incident at flats in Keighley last Christmas Day night.

PC Gargett was kicked in the face whilst trying to detain a woman, sustaining black eyes and a badly swollen nose. She was taken to hospital for treatment.

“I was kicked with such force that I went backwards at speed and for some distance,” she said.

“I then couldn’t physically move. My body was like a lead weight.

“From the pain and the warmth over my face I knew I was bleeding quite profusely.

“When I arrived home on Boxing Day morning the kids were really upset when they saw me.

“Now when I go to work they say ‘please don’t die mum’.

“You are going into violent situations and have to rise above feelings of fear, but this kind of incident is happening far too often.”

Latest figures show that assaults on police officers in West Yorkshire are on the rise.

Home Office data reveals that assaults against an officer without causing injury in the region have increased by 42 per cent since 2015/16, which was the first year the information was published.

In total, police officers in West Yorkshire faced 1,366 assaults between April 2017 and March this year. This incorporates 413 cases where injury was caused.

Sgt Craig Grandison – West Yorkshire’s federation vice-chairman and a former Keighley police officer – says new legislation is coming in which will allow tougher sentences for offenders, but the campaign is ongoing.

He added: “It’s a concern that the number of assaults are still rising, although part of that may be down to the fact we are encouraging officers to record every incident.

“Too often our officers see these kind of incidents as ‘part of the job’ and don’t report them, but people should be able to go about their daily duties without fear of attack.”

Keighley MP John Grogan said a tough warning needed to go out to the perpetrators.

He added: “Criminals need to know that assaults on emergency workers will be treated by the courts with special severity.

“Parliament has recently passed a law which will mean attacks on the police, firefighters and ambulance staff will be regarded as ‘aggravated assaults’ with tougher sentences.”