A POLICE officer badly injured as she tackled a hammer-wielding thug in Dorset has been nominated for a National Police Bravery Award.

PC Roz Fricker, who was a probationary officer at the time, spent five months recovering from a haematoma and prolapsed disc after the ‘horrific attack’.

She’d been among officers called to deal with a serious disturbance in Poole in 2018.

A Dorset Police Federation spokesman said that shortly after officers arrived on scene a man holding a pole, who had been shouting and kicking at front doors, marched towards her – concealing something behind his back. He revealed the hammer and raised it as if to strike, but PC Fricker immediately put up her hands to try and defuse the situation.

However, the man swung the hammer towards the officer. “PC Fricker realised her life, and possibly the life of nearby members of the public were at severe risk and managed to call for assistance before drawing her PAVA spray,” said the federation spokesman.

The spokesman said: “The man again swung the hammer at her, this time striking a severe blow to her shoulder. “She managed to deploy her PAVA, but the irritant only served to incense her assailant further. He was still in an agitated state and started bouncing around before he ran off towards some parked cars which he began to smash up with his hammer.”

Despite being in severe pain, PC Fricker followed him and updated colleagues on the radio. After a search, PC Fricker and a colleague found the thug cowering behind a parked car and despite his violent attempts to resist detention, the officers managed to get him under control. As well as the hammer, the officers discovered he was in possession of a metal mallet and seven knives hidden in his clothing. It took PC Fricker five months until she was able to return to frontline duties. Now she will join more than 90 colleagues from across England and Wales nominated for their courageous acts at the national awards.