A man has been arrested after an unprovoked attack on a firefighter who was attending a flat fire in Thornton Heath, UK.

The 53-year-old man, who was arrested on the scene and remains in custody, struck the victim over the head.

London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Richard Mills said: “This abhorrent and unprovoked attack on a firefighter is completely unacceptable, but during a global pandemic when all emergency services workers are going above and beyond to serve the public it is even more shocking.

“The firefighter was going into a building to fight a fire and potentially save lives and had it not been for his helmet, he would have sustained serious head injuries. Thankfully, he has been discharged from hospital.

“We take all attacks on our firefighters incredibly seriously and have already put our weight behind the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act which increased sentencing guidelines for such attacks and we will be working with the Metropolitan Police Service to assist with their investigation.”

Last year the NFCC called for firefighters to wear body worn cameras following a spate of attacks on crew.