Policewoman's violent struggle with yobs

Sophie Hillman and her partner Tristan Carter were off duty when they tackled the youngsters.

They had completed an evening shift in the Shoreham area of West Sussex and had returned to their Herstmonceux home.

At 2am they were relaxing on a sofa watching television when there was a 'smashing' sound on the street outside.

PC Hillman said: 'We finished the night shift and we were still wide awake.

'I looked outside and saw a little git kicking car mirrors as he went along.

'Tristan went out to detain them and I called for immediate assistance as I had heard before they were nasty pieces of work.'

The youths ran off and the two police officers, dressed in plain clothes, tackled them in Hailsham Road.

Some villagers came out of their homes to see what was going on.

PC Hillman said: 'The lads struggled and we restrained them onto the floor because it was getting violent.

'We had absolutely no assistance from members of the public at all which I thought was appalling.

'I was being punched in the face and they just watched me.

'People do not want to get hurt but I was getting hurt and they could

see that.'

At one point PC Hillman thought she and Tristan might be 'lynched' by villagers who did not believe they were police officers.

For 45 minutes they wrestled with the teenagers, trying to avoid kicks and punches.

PC Hillman felt a shiver go down her spine when the father of one of the youths got involved.

She said: 'A girl appeared and said to one of the lads: "Don't worry, your dad is on his way".

'This little man wandered around the corner, and went over to Tristan and punched him in the face.'

Two police units eventually arrived to take the teenagers into custody.

One of the teenagers escaped and was later heard running around the village, shouting: 'I am going to find and kill you pigs.'

He was caught the next day.

PC Hillman said: 'I was actually sick in the street afterwards because of the exhaustion of struggling for so long.'

Both officers were given police divisional congratulations certificates for their conduct in the incident in January last year by Colin Field, the High Sheriff of West Sussex.