ALMOST 50 assaults on non-police emergency workers have been recorded in North Yorkshire since 2020, new figures show.

And police officers in the region said anyone caught doing so can expect "swift and decisive action".

In 2020 police forces began to record a new category of crime - assaults without injury on emergency workers.

The latest Home Office crime figures show 46 assaults against emergency workers have been recorded by North Yorkshire Police between March 2020 and the end of 2022.

Of these assaults, 15 took place in 2022 and 21 the year before, with the remainder taking place from early 2020 onwards.

Speaking on the figures, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "Emergency service colleagues, such as those in the fire and rescue and ambulance services, go to work to protect the public - not to be assaulted.

“The vast majority of people understand this and show respect to these valued public servants, who carry out such an important role.

“Anyone who does assault an emergency worker in York or North Yorkshire can expect swift and decisive action from the police.”

Across England and Wales, 3,347 assaults on emergency workers were recorded in 2022, a slight rise on 3,342 the year before.

Paul Mudd, head of operations in North and East Yorkshire at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “Our staff are here to help people when they are most in need and, unfortunately, they face the possibility of violent and aggressive behaviour every time they start a shift.

"When they occur, these verbal and physical attacks can have a significant and lasting impact on individuals, affecting all aspects of their lives. Please treat our staff with the respect they deserve.”

The offence applies to attacks on 'blue light' workers, paramedics and fire fighters, along with many others, including prison officers, NHS workers, and St John’s Ambulance volunteers - but does not include police officers, who are covered by a different crime code.

The 2018 Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill came into law, imposing a maximum prison sentence of one year for common assault on an emergency worker – a sentence that was doubled in 2022.

Over the past few years, 10 of these crimes in North Yorkshire resulted in a charge - and since the crime was introduced, 34 per cent of recorded incidents have resulted in the offender being charged or summonsed.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "People become firefighters to serve their communities and help to keep people safe. It’s appalling that firefighters should face violent attacks while doing their job."

Ambulance workers are also frequent victims of assault – the 2022 NHS Staff Survey found 45 per cent of paramedics had experienced violence from patients or the general public.