A man has been charged after a police officer was left with a fractured eye socket in an unprovoked attack while tending to an elderly man who had collapsed on a bus.

George Agbapuruonwu, 36, of May Road, Chingford was charged on January 9 with one count of GBH and two counts of assault on two separate police officers.

The attack, which took place at around 11pm on January 8 at the junction of Alexandra Avenue and Eastcote Lane in South Harrow, was allegedly carried out without any provocation.

The officer was targeted, along with two colleagues, as they were helping the elderly man, who had fallen while riding the 114 bus, and his grandson.

The attacker began punching and kicking the victims, resulting in the officer with the fractured eye socket needing hospital treatment. 

Chief Inspector Alison Darke, from Harrow Police, said: “Whilst helping an elderly man and his grandson three of our officers were subjected to a vicious and unprovoked attack which has resulted in one of them being hospitalised overnight.

“Policing is by its very nature unpredictable - however no officer should be subject to such a violent attack.”