A police union has called for tougher action on yobs after it was revealed a police officer assaulted in the line of duty needed two-and-a-half months off work.

Kingston police said they are unable to release further details of the incident that lead to the 76-day absence, before the Surrey Comet went to press.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information, revealed a further four police officers in the borough had to take three days or more off work because of attacks.

The officers are among 80 serving cops in the borough assaulted in the last two years.

The body representing the county’s rank-and-file police officers have blamed the courts for being too lenient on criminals who attack the cops.

Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, has asked the Government to introduce new legislation to better protect officers.

He said directives from the Home Office mean magistrates are not taking assaults seriously enough and that officers now feel the law favours criminals.

He said: “Thirty years ago if you attacked a police officer you would receive a custodial sentence no matter how minor the injuries sustained.

“But now with the overcrowded jails the Government seems to be determined to keep people out of prison and because of that courts are not taking these crimes seriously enough.

“When I first became a policeman it was ‘yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’, but now it seems there is a complete lack of respect, not just for officers but in schools and hospitals.”

Mr Smyth also blamed booze-fuelled violence as the cause of many assaults on the police and said the situation had been made worse by 24-hour licensing laws.

He said: “Nearly 65 per cent of violent crimes are alcohol-related, so inevitably the more people drink and have time to drink then the more violent crimes will be committed, this is reflected on crimes against officers.”

Kingston police were contacted several times over a two-week period for comment but had not responded by the time the Surrey Comet went to press.

Chief inspector of Kingston police operations David Gair praised his officers “determination, courage and commitment” after seven were injured during the riots in Tottenham, North London, last summer.