A woman police officer has been unable to return to front-line duty after being attacked with a metal bar.

Declan Taylor, 19, confronted the officer when she attended his flat in Humbleyard, Bowthorpe, with mental health workers, because of concerns over his welfare, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Taylor struck the officer with a metal bar on her arm, which she had raised to defend herself, and as she was trying to get away he hit her again on the base of the neck causing her to tumble into a female colleague, who as a result suffered a minor injury to her wrist.

Hugh Vass, prosecuting, said the officer, who had been in the force for more than decade, suffered bruising and swelling and had to have two weeks off work and undergo physiotherapy.

He said the assault also left her unable to return to frontline duty as she was left suffering flashbacks and difficulty sleeping since the incident.

He said: "Physically she was not badly harmed but it has had a significant effect on her. She is not doing frontline policing as a result of this incident."

Mr Vass said that in a statement from Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey he said that the force fully supported any of their officers who were victim of an assault while on duty.

He said assaults on officers of this kind had a detrimental effect on the force and often led to officers having to have time off, which also impacted on colleagues in maintaining the service to the public.

Taylor admitted causing actual bodily harm to the officer on January 28, last year, and also admitted assaulting an emergency worker on the same date

Sentencing Taylor to 10 months in a young offenders' institution, Judge Katharine Moore said the attack had left the officer with flashbacks and unable to return to frontline policing:

"She was extremely distressed by what happened."

She added: "Your action on that occasion ended her willingness and ability to operate as she had been doing."

Michael Clare, for Taylor, said that some regard should be made to his mental health at the time.