A MAN has appeared in court charged with attacking two volunteer police officers.

Essex Police issued an urgent plea for information after members of the special constabulary were hurt when they attended an incident in Colchester High Street in the early hours of the morning in January.

One officer suffered a fractured jaw and required surgery.

The other suffered a broken nose and a split lip but was released from hospital after treatment.

Police said the pair had been kicked, headbutted and stamped on.

In the week after the incident, Jack Hudson, of Bromley Close, Clacton, was charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.

During a hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court yesterday, the 20-year-old was not asked to enter formal pleas to the charges because they are only suitable to be heard at crown court due to their severity.

But Levent Kemal, defending, said it was likely he would indicate guilty pleas at his next court appearance.

Hudson was granted bail until he is due at Ipswich Crown Court on April 10.

Until then he must not enter Colchester unless he has a scheduled meeting with his solicitors or another court hearing.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also in court charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker in connection with the same incident.

He denied the charge.

The teenager from Clacton will face trial at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on April 29.

Two other people were arrested following the incident.

A 17-year-old boy from was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm was released without charge.

A 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of affray answered bail last month and has been released under investigation.

They are also from Clacton.