A community police officer who restrained a wanted man despite being sprayed in the face with ammonia has said the terrifying experience has made him even more determined to join the force permanently.

Simon Moore was attacked in Dagenham Market on June 5 but still managed to arrest his assailant.

The 30-year-old from Shenfield was on a routine foot patrol in River Road when he saw two men fighting.

As he intervened, he was sprayed in the face with ammonia. He told the Post that initially he thought his attacker had poured acid on him.

He said: “All I could hear was ‘He’s got a bottle of acid’. I expected my face to start burning. It was terrifying. It was sprayed in my eyes and I swallowed a bit as well. The main thing I was thinking is ‘I’m definitely not going to let him go’.”

Simon and a security guard from the market wrestled the man to the ground even though his eyes were stinging and he was in pain.

“Afterwards I went to Whipps Cross and they said I had mild burns to my right eye,” he said.

He signed up as a community police officer 16 months ago to gain some experience in the police force before applying to become a constable.

Simon said: “If anything, this has made me want to be a PC even more, to bring people to court.”

A 24-year-old man from Barking was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and was found to be wanted by police for questioning in connection with crimes in three other boroughs.

He has been remanded in custody pending further enquiries.