Six police officers and custody staff were injured and one hospitalised by a woman arrested in Swindon, Wiltshire Police said.
A female detention officer suffered a hairline fracture of her arm when she was bitten during the incident in Gablecross police station late on Saturday night.
Officers were responding to reports of a brick being thrown through a window city centre’s north west. They arrested a 42-year-old woman on suspicion of criminal damage.
But once in custody she became ”abusive and aggressive to officers and staff”, biting, scratching and pushing those who were trying to deal with her, Wiltshire Police said.
“It is completely unacceptable that our officers and staff were subjected to this nasty assault while simply doing their job,” inspector Carly Nesbitt said.
"This level of violence is sadly becoming more commonplace and we now see our teams abused and assaulted on a daily basis."
The female detention officer was taken to hospital to have her arm injury treated and is now recovering at home.
Wiltshire Police described the majority of the injuries to the six police officers and custody staff as minor.
The incident comes after growing concern about violence faced by officers.
“If you attack a police officer, you need to know you will go to prison; no ifs, no buts,” said Association of Police and Crime Commissioners chairperson, Katy Bourne. “I think a strengthening of the sentences there would be very welcome. I’m sure the public feel exactly the same.
“How have we come [to a point] as a society to the fact where we almost accept this every day?”
Additional reporting by Press Association
