POLICE are hunting a man who attacked a female police officer before running away with handcuffs attached to his wrist.

They have released CCTV images and have urged members of the public to help them identify the man pictured.

The offence took place on Friday May 17 at 11.45pm on Lagland Street in Poole.

It is not known if the man has managed to remove the handcuffs

Police had been called to the scene by town centre CCTV operators who suspected that two men were involved in drug-related activity.

One man made off towards the High Street and the other remained at the scene.

He was initially complaint but when the officer began applying handcuffs he became aggressive and started swinging his arms.

He assaulted the officer and made off in the direction of Pitwines Close with the handcuffs still attached to his left wrist.

The officer sustained an injury to her wrist but carried out a search of the area before seeking medical assistance from the custody nurse.

The men were not found. The man who assaulted the officer is described as white and was wearing a black jacket with a Nike logo on it and black jeans.

Police Constable Matt Batter, of Poole police, said: “We do not tolerate assaults on officers who are just doing their job and are carrying out an investigation to identify the man responsible.

“We have obtained CCTV images of the suspect and I would urge anyone who recognises him to please contact us.

“I would also like to hear from anyone who witnessed this incident.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police on 101, quoting occurrence number 55190074633 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.