POLICE working to keep the streets of Carmarthenshire safe are regularly finding themselves the target of violence.

But force chiefs have stressed that the county remains one of the safest places in the UK to walk the beat. They say new figures suggesting that, on average, more than one officer is physically assaulted there each week must be taken in context.

A total of 63 officers reported being attacked in the first 10 months of last year — the highest number of all the divisions in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area.

Officers complained of being elbowed in the face, grabbed by the neck and kneed in the chest, while suspects also brandished nearby objects including a shoe and a snooker cue in an attempt to cause injury.

Another even put their own safety at risk by lunging at a constable while driving, causing the vehicle to swerve.

Chief inspector for Llanelli Mark Bleasdale said assaults on officers were "not acceptable", adding that it was encouraging to see the number of incidents had fallen over the past four years.

"You have to bear in mind that Carmarthenshire is still one of the safest areas in England and Wales to live, and it is also one of the safest areas for officers to work," he said.

"Sixty-three assaults for 2010 is just over one a week and you should bear in mind the number of arrests made in that time, and the amount of contact officers have with people.

"I don't want to minimise the seriousness of this because when officers are assaulted it means that they could be off frontline duties because of the injuries they have suffered, and that does have an impact on the public."

Mr Bleasdale explained that all officers undergo at least two days of safety training each year, which involves dealing with confrontation from the lowest level up to a position where they could be physically attacked.

"Tackling violent crime generally is a police priority, and in the last four years the training has particularly focused to make it as realistic as possible," he said.

"Every single operational officer goes through this, and the sessions include training on how to use conflict resolution techniques, which range from persuasion through to actually having to use the appointments they are equipped with. It goes through the situation step by step."

Mr Bleasdale believes the number of assaults on police officers has fallen over the past four years in line with a drop in other violent crime, which he views as "encouraging".

He added: "Having said that, our view is that any assaults on officers are not acceptable, which is why we get them reported and put cases to the CPS.

"Officers, as well as supervisors, are encouraged to report any incidents that they are made aware of."