A Gloucestershire police officer has pleaded guilty to attacking a female colleague outside a police station after being caught drink-driving.

Pc Mike Jones, 43, admitted assaulting Pc Lucy Powell at Stroud police station in Gloucestershire on November 5 last year.

Jones, appearing at Gloucester Magistrates' Court dressed in a black leather jacket, white shirt and blue tie, changed his plea from an earlier one of not guilty.

He has already pleaded guilty to a second charge of assaulting Sergeant Christopher Price and failing to give a required specimen on request.

Mark Carroll, prosecuting, told the hearing that Jones, of The Range, Gloucester, hit Pc Powell in the face and pushed Sgt Price to the ground in a struggle after being caught drink-driving.

He told the court: 'The defendant was stopped driving a motor vehicle - after calls had come in from members of the public saying the vehicle was being driven erratically.

Jones, who entered the police force as a 16-year-old cadet and has served for 27 years, went on to admit to officers he had hit the kerb while driving and punctured a wheel.

It was as officers attempted to take Jones back to Stroud police station at 7.20pm that he 'panicked' and tried to make a 'run for it', said Mr Carroll.

Sending the case to Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing, magistrate Mary Barnes said: 'These are serious offences aggravated by the fact that you are a serving police offer.'

Jones, of Gloucestershire Police, was given unconditional bail until sentencing on a date to be fixed. He remains banned from driving.

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