A RESPONSE officer was bitten and forced to use a pepper spray to incapacitate a man under arrest after it took five officers to take him into custody.

Police were called to reports of a disturbance in Mannington Lane, off Tewkesbury Way, in West Swindon, on November 25 and were faced with a large number of agitated residents.

PC Jamie Brown chased 40-year-old suspect Nathan Formoy, of Penhill Drive, and a fight ensued as he caught him.

While attempting to process Formoy through custody, PC Brown was forced to drag him out of the police van when he refused to co-operate, at which point Formoy sank his teeth into the officer’s arm.

Formoy has now admitted assaulting an officer, causing harassment, alarm or distress, and criminal damage, and has been given a restraining order with a three month curfew.

He was also found to be in breach of a 12-month conditional discharge.

Describing the incident, PC Brown said: “On arrival officers were trying to deal at the scene with a lot of upset people.

"I was told the male involved had run off around the corner, so I set off and gave pursuit on my own.

“He is a big old lad, and we ended up having a tussle.

“In bringing him into custody he became extremely aggressive and refused to get out of the van.

"Numerous officers were trying to get him out of the van, and I stood back a bit because I had already fallen out with him that night.

He was saying to every officer if they touched him he was going to assault them.

“There were around four or five officers there, all asking him to get out of the van.

"He was not engaging, so I have stepped forward and pushed past, going to pull him out of the van.

“At that point he has lunged his head forward and bitten me on the arm.

"He has brought his head straight down and started to bite me, so I put him straight to the floor.”

In court, Formoy claimed he had not had his teeth in at the time of biting PC Brown, so had not caused any real damage.

“I won’t comment on that, but there was a red bite mark on my arm,” said the officer.

“He has a temper on him and I decided we had had enough after the other officers were asking nicely.”

Swindon magistrates gave Formoy a community order with a three-month curfew under electronic tag from the hours of 8pm to 7am, and a restraining order not to contact his victim or go to their home.

He was also fined £50, with £50 compensation and a £60 victim surcharge.