Officer 'critical' after stabbing

Pc Peter Doherty was called "courageous" by a senior officer

A police officer is in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed with a crowbar as he tried to arrest a group of burglars.

Pc Peter Doherty, 34, who has served in the Gulf War, was stabbed at a newsagent's shop in Bedworth, near Coventry, on Wednesday night.

The probationary officer has undergone emergency surgery to remove his spleen.

He was injured after colleagues located offenders at the Paper Chain, Mount Pleasant Road. Three arrests were made.

The stabbing took place after the officer become separated from colleagues when he decided to pursue several offenders fleeing the scene of the burglary.

Pc Doherty was wearing a stab-proof vest - but the crowbar entered his chest at the side of the garment.

'Life-threatening'

Det Supt Ken Lawrence said four males had been arrested in the early hours of Thursday in the Wood End area of Coventry following a police pursuit.

The incident is being treated as attempted murder.

"He has had his spleen removed and suffered some very, very serious internal injuries," he said.

"His condition is critical, but I am crossing my fingers. It is still a potentially life-threatening injury."

The incident is being treated as attempted murder

The officer is in a critical but stable condition at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, he said.

It was clear, Mr Lawrence said, that the injured officer and several colleagues had disturbed a number of offenders.

"In pursuing the offenders the injured officer confronted a number of them and in so doing received a single stab wound, which was delivered from a crowbar.

"This was witnessed by a member of the public who saw the officer fall to the ground and saw the offenders run away."

The offenders are known to have fled the scene in a stolen Lexus car which was followed to the Coventry area by police vehicles and a police helicopter.

Courageous response

"As a consequence of that three people were arrested and since then a fourth person has been arrested," Mr Lawrence said.

A team of 40 officers is now working on the inquiry and a major incident room has been set up.

Paying tribute to the officer, who had just nine months experience, he said: "He has stated that he always wanted to be a police officer.

"I would like to say at this point that he has responded to a fairly routine call late at night in a very courageous manner.

"As a consequence he suffered serious injury doing that duty."