PEOPLE who attack police officers and emergency service workers will face stiffer punishment.

A new law to protect emergency workers from assault is set to receive Royal Assent today, with the maximum sentence for assault against them to double from six to 12 months in prison from November.

Courts will also have to consider the strongest penalties for other offences against emergency workers, including GBH and sexual assault, under the new law.

Justice Minister Rory Stewart said assault against emergency workers "represents violence against the public as a whole", and the courts would not tolerate violence towards the emergency services.

Chris Bryant MP launched the Private Members Bill which introduced the law, and Rob Bowles chairman of the North Yorkshire Police Federation said he welcomed the change, and hoped it would serve as a deterrent and reduce the number of assaults experienced by police officers.

He said “No police officer, or any member of the emergency services, should have to expect to be assaulted just because of their job. With this legislation the Government has acknowledged the difficult, challenging and sometimes dangerous role that police officers undertake.”

He also said the national reduction in police numbers had contributed to the risks faced by officers. In the North East, officer numbers have fallen by 19 per cent since 2010 from 19,673 to 15,937, and - as reported in The Press - the frontline of North Yorkshire Police has reduced by almost 15 per cent in the same period.

Mr Bowles said that in order for the force to prevent attacks and properly support police, it is vital that officers report any incidents, and that they know being assaulted should never be seen as part of the job.

He added: “ We routinely monitor and offer support for all individuals who have been assaulted in the line of duty. I encourage all officers to report assaults so that the organisation has a full appreciation of the extent of the problem”

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice showed there had been an increase in assaults on emergency workers in recent years, with 26,000 assaults on police officers in the past year, more than 17,000 on NHS staff, an increase in attacks on Prison Officers by 70 per cent in the three years to 2017, and an 18 per cent increase experienced by firefighters in the past two years.