Police seek person who threw glass bottle which hit officer in face at Hove Lawns

Footage from the officer’s body camera captures the moment before the glass bottle hits her. Picture from Sussex Police

Police have renewed their appeal to find the person who threw a glass bottle which hit an officer in the face at Hove Lawns on Saturday.

Officers were responding to antisocial behaviour involving a group of about 200 people on Hove Lawns and Brunswick Square when the officer was hit.

She fell and hit her head on a police car and was knocked unconscious, suffering mild concussion and bruising.

Chief Inspector Nick Dias said: “We are actively seeking to identify the person responsible for this deplorable crime, which could have caused serious injury.

“Our aim is to engage with people where there are concerns, especially where there are young people vulnerable to alcohol and disorder.

“But where people are disorderly and violent we will be robust in our approach.

“We will be out on high visibility patrols and where we find young people with alcohol we will intervene in the interest of their welfare.

“We want people to act responsibly and to keep safe.”

Anyone with any information about the incident where the bottle was thrown, especially anyone who captured it on camera, is asked to report online or call 101, quoting serial 1410 of 05/06.

A 16-year-old girl from Brighton, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, has been released under investigation pending referral to the Youth Offending Team, police said.

A 53-year-old man from Hove, arrested on suspicion of affray, has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Jacob Ross, 26, of Church Road, Hove, has been charged with two counts of assault of an emergency worker, possession of a knife in public and possession of cannabis, confirmed police.

He has been released on unconditional bail to appear before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 8 July.

A 15-year-old boy from Brighton, arrested on suspicion of obstructing police, failing to comply with a Section 35 order excluding a person from an area, and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, has been released under investigation pending referral to the Youth Offending Team.