It should have been a routine incident when police stopped and fined a man for breaching the Covid-19 curfew restrictions. But, instead, it turned ugly with one Marbella Local Police officer being attacked by a ‘dangerous dog’ and his colleague allegedly being punched by the Irish man.

It all started at around 3.30am in the early hours of Saturday in the Lindavista residential development, in San Pedro de Alcántara.

A plainclothes unit patrolling in an unmarked vehicle found a young man out walking in the street and, faced with a possible breach of the coronavirus curfew, stopped to identify him.

The officers introduced themselves as police and asked for his documentation. The young man, who spoke only English, explained that he was not carrying it said that his home was on the same road.

According to sources, the local police officers waited for him to go home to look for an identification document.

However, when he returned, the young man picked up a mobile phone and started recording them. The officers explained that he could not do that, especially when they worked undercover.

It is alleged that the young man began to shout derogatory insults towards the police and tell them that he did not have to identify himself, wear a mask or give them explanations about what he was doing. It is claimed he then pushed them and ran home.

The police chased him and caught up with him just outside the door. The individual allegedly turned and punched one of the officers on the cheekbone, who fell backward into the garden, while kicking his partner.

At that moment, the young man's mother appeared with a dog, of a breed considered 'potentially dangerous' in Spain. The police tried to ask the woman for the dog’s documentation but on seeing the animal, the young man allegedly ordered it to attack the policemen. The dog bit one of them on the left hand and one knee.

With the help of other colleagues who raced to the scene, they managed to arrest the young man and handcuff him. At the police station he was charged with attacking the officers and resisting arrest but refused to testify.

The two officers both needed medical attention and were taken to a health centre to be treated for their injuries. The one who was bitten was also given a tetanus jab and both are now on sick leave.