Two officers with the Met Police suffered facial injuries and were taken to hospital after an attempted search in Croydon this morning (Friday, April 16).

The first attack happened on Otterbourne Road in Croydon, when officers "stopped a man for the purpose of a search" on the road at 9.59am on Friday morning.

A spokesperson for the Met Police told the Croydon Guardian:

At 09:59hrs on Friday, 16 April officers stopped a man for the purpose of a search in the area of Otterbourne Road, Croydon.

"A struggle ensued and during this a police officer was assaulted by the suspect who fled on foot."

Around 20 minutes passed before a man "matching the description of the suspect" was spotted near Tamworth Road.

The spokesperson continued:

"Officers detained the man and during this a second officer was assaulted.

"Both officers were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service with facial injuries. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

"A man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and taken into custody while enquiries continue."

Stop and Search policies used and defended by the Metropolitan Police have been widely criticised by rights groups for disproportionately impacting Black communities.

A report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published in October last year found eleven ways police could improve their implementation of Stop and Search.