Video clue to armed gang running over fallen policeman released

A video of a police officer being deliberately run over by an armed gang as they tried to get away after a botched robbery was released yesterday.

Three men, armed with crowbars, attempted to steal cash from a security van parked outside Partington Leisure Centre, in Trafford, Greater Manchester, yesterday afternoon.

But they were stopped by officers and fled the scene in a black BMW, which they rammed into a police car.

An officer then fell to the ground and the gang "deliberately ran over the officer", in an act that is being treated as attempted murder, police said.

He was left with a suspected broken leg and ankle and needed urgent hospital treatment.

The video, shot on a mobile phone by a witness, has been released in a bid to trace the offenders.

Detective Superintendent Geoff Wessell from Greater Manchester Police said: "This is being treated as the attempted murder of the police officer.

"The footage shows there was room for the car to drive past, but they chose to drive over the officer and leave him lying on the ground."