Community police officer hurt in woods knife attack

♦ A Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was lured into woods and attacked by a knife-wielding man who attempted to stab him in the face.

Cheshire Police said the officer was on patrol when he was approached by a man alerting him to an apparent fight involving three men in a nearby wooded area. But, as the PCSO walked towards the trio, he was attacked from behind by a man who tried to knife him. The officer fought off the attacker in the Palacefields area of Runcorn at around 5.10pm on Thursday but had to go to hospital to be treated for superficial wounds to his hands. All the men fled the scene.

Det Insp Clare Coleman said: “This was a totally unprovoked attack. I would urge the local community to help us trace the person responsible.”