Assaults on Gardaí up 50% since 2012

Gardaí all across the country are being punched, kicked, slapped, and bitten on an ever-increasing basis, official figures confirmed.

In the last six years, there have been 1,267 assaults on gardaí.

While there were 174 such attacks nationwide in 2012, last year the annual tally rose to 259 — an increase of almost 50%.