The head of policing in Kent has branded criminals who assault police "evil" - as it emerges the number of attacks on officers has reached a three-year high.

Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott is calling for harsher sentences for yobs who assault emergency workers amid a rise in staff being punched, kicked, stabbed and spat at.

It comes as officers on the frontline are equipped with body cameras and tasers to protect themselves against violent offenders.

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Figures seen by KentOnline show 878 officers have been injured while on duty in Kent in the past three years. The number has increased from 238 in 2014/15, to 272 2015/16 and 368 last year.

The Freedom of Information response reveals the number of officers bitten rose by 10 in the space of a year, with 18 incidents reported in 2015/16 compared to 28 the following year.

The number kicked also went up from 32 in 2015/16 to 80 in 2016/17, while knife attacks dropped from four to three in the same period.

PC Ashley McMahan, who has been with Kent Police since 2003, has spoken out about how he was assaulted while on duty.

The 34 year old was on patrol with the Canterbury City beat team in August when he was punched in the face by a passerby.

He said: "I'm part of a city beat team so I wear the traditional police hat when I'm out which gets a lot of attention from tourists.

"I had stopped to take some pictures with tourists when I heard someone in my blind spot shouting general police abuse.

"As I turned around he punched me in the jaw."

PC McMahan had to be taken to hospital to have an x-ray on his jaw and he has only recently lost the sensation of ringing in his ears from the trauma.

He said: "Kent Police are very good at offering support through various different processes. If you would like someone to talk to about what's happened you can get access to that."

Mr Scott told KentOnline: "I think the police officer role has always been a difficult and challenging one.

"What we're seeing is more people who are thinking it's acceptable to assault a police officer.

"Myself and the Chief Constable are working together to invest in training to help officers protect themselves from these evil individuals.

"The Chief Constable and I are quite clear on this. We work closely together to help give officers the tools they need. We've invested in body cameras and we're increasing our capability for tazers.

"The Chief Constable and I have reintroduced spit hoods and spit guards. That means we're doing all we can together to mitigate this.

"I think it's absolutely unacceptable anyone could think of assaulting a police officer."

Mr Scott added the cause of the jump in reports could be down to the increase in the number of complicated calls coming in.

"I think in part we have seen a lot of trends recently in regards of violent crime and an increase in the public order offences they're going to and a change in crime type," he added.

"Our front line officers and staff are regularly exposed to volatile situations and these occasionally result in them being assaulted. This is not accepted as being 'part of the job'" - Deputy Chief Constable Paul Brandon

"I think we need to do more and that's where I'm supporting the legislation that's going through parliament at the moment to try to help officers by strengthening the law."

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Brandon said: "Assaults on Kent Police officers who are going about their duties to protect and serve their communities will not be tolerated.

"Every day our officers are required to attend unpredictable and challenging circumstances. Our front line officers and staff are regularly exposed to volatile situations and these occasionally result in them being assaulted. This is not accepted as being ‘part of the job’.

"A dedicated action plan, which encourages officers to report assaults against them and ensure any offences are properly investigated, has been put in place. We have also approved the use of spit guards to further protect them from being spat at by people they arrest.

"The physical nature of front line policing can mean officers also sustain injuries without being assaulted. In these circumstances the officer’s welfare, which remains a clear priority, will be overseen by their line manager. This includes a thorough investigation of the incident and appropriate welfare support."

Meanwhile the head of the Police Federation, an organisation set up to defend police officers, has also hit out at the figures.

Chairman Chris Carter said: "We're involved and will liase with Kent Police on a regular basis to make sure officers have got the equipment and training they need to do their job.

"When officers are assaulted on duty there's a lot of support put in place by the organisation but quite often officers will contact us to see if there's any more support they can get.

"Assaults and physical injuries are, if not the biggest, then second biggest contributor to police sickness next to mental health problems.

"That's really alarming that we're seeing that sort of increase in the numbers and it can't be right that officers are out there to help the public and some people think it's alright to assault them.

"There seems to be a general willingness to take officers on. We ask police officers to do extraordinary things and it's not right that people can feel they can assault police officers when we're asking them to do these things."