A Braintree policewoman is recovering at home after being attacked by a motorist on the M11.

The 38-year-old woman was left with mutiple cuts and bruising after stopping a disqualified driver while she was on duty at about 2pm on Wednesday.

After she was thrown clear of the Mercedes car, near Stansted, her male colleague was dragged for nearly half-a-mile along the motorway by the speeding vehicle.

The uniformed pair were carrying out routine checks when it was revealed that the male driver, travelling with a woman, was disqualified.

He then attacked the pair and sped off, with the 53-year-old policeman, from Harlow, still attached to the car.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "The stretch of motorway would have been busy with traffic travelling at 70mph or more when this happened.

"The two officers had been on routine patrol when they spotted the Mercedes travelling at 60mph in the 40mph zone. They decided to allow the car to get clear of the roadworks before stopping it.

"The officer fell near the middle of the motorway but was allowed to scramble to safety because other motorists saw what had happened and stopped to form a barrier to allow him to get onto the hard shoulder."

Essex Police said the male officer - who escaped with a broken nose and bruising - could have been killed and the Braintree policewoman more seriously injured.

Both were discharged from hospital after treatment.

The male driver was white, in his late twenties, and had short dark-brown hair and tattoos on his arms. The woman passenger was in her early 20s and slim.

Both of the Essex officers have given detailed descriptions of their attackers and police wanted to hear from any motorist who saw the incident.

The Mercedes was later found abandoned at a pub in North Weald and police said a red Vauxhall Astra was reported stolen from nearby.

"This could have been a fatal incident," added the spokesman.

Published Friday October 11, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette